Hello again! It's Monday morning and that means that I am nearing the end of my work week once again. This time around I have not 3 but 4 days off, and they are going to be busy. Soccer returns this week after a 20 day break. I also have plans to golf tomorrow for the first time in 2 years. Between Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening I hope to have played a round of golf, played hockey, played a soccer game, ran 5 km, biked with Jasmine, and gone swimming with the kids. Will I survive? Sheila and I are also thinking about spending Friday night camping with the kids. It would be nice to relax a little after the packed schedule of Tuesday and Wednesday.
This weekend was a good one. We woke Saturday morning and a had a nice breakfast. Jasmine has been addicted to pancakes lately, this was her fourth time eating them this week! Sheila spoiled us with bacon and eggs to go with the cakes. We jumped in the car to head downtown. Our timing was a little off, so we ended up spending 45 minutes on the street corner waiting for the parade to start. I believe this is the fourth year in a row that we have attended the Prince George Pride Parade, and it was the best one yet. Considerably more viewers than year's past, it was good to see. The added participation of the RCMP, Ambulance employees and Firefighters was a nice sight to see, though I have no idea why it took them so long to get involved (it's year 16 for the parade). The kids had a great time cheering and waving (Asher waves to everyone, including all dogs!) but best of all, they liked the goodies that were being handed out. We collected candies, bracelets, stickers, tattoos, bottles of water (great idea!) and Asher even got a little football. After the parade, we strolled over to the civic centre where they were holding the annual BMO Kidz Art Dayz. We have gone a few times in the past to this event, but this year it was bigger and busier then I ever remember it being. Jasmine and I ran into a couple of our soccer teammates amongst the hundreds of kids that were there. They had about 15 different art stations set up, even a few that Asher could do. They also had live music this time, a great addition! Listened to a really solid performer, a young guy singing and playing guitar, and as he pointed out before each song, he had written all of the stuff too! I was impressed. Jasmine enjoyed herself, but got a little upset when we had to pull her away. She had been waiting patiently in a line for one project, but the line just wasn't moving. We had to walk 4 blocks back to the car, and needed to make a few more stops before I went to work. She didn't get over it until she had a smokie (she was starving!) and was settled in watching her auntie's soccer game. I had time to say a quick hello to my mom and dad at the soccer field and watch my sister play for a few minutes before I was on my way to work.
After the excitement of Saturday morning, I may have been inclined to be lazy on Sunday. Often, due to the quick turn around of working Saturday night and Sunday morning I am lacking sleep and energy come the afternoon. I had big plans, and I really wanted to follow through on them. I stopped off at my friend's house to borrow his ladder, then went to a couple of home improvement places in search of fence boards. Unfortunately, the part of the fence I am looking to repair was built with 1 x 5 fence boards ( a true 5 inches) and the boards aren't sold at any of the major lumber yards. I went home, intent to get some of the work done. I pulled the section of the fence apart, realizing that if I replaced all the boards instead, it wouldn't matter that the boards going on are a slightly different size. I couldn't fill the holes where a handful of rotten boards were present, but I could replank the entire 8 foot section instead. I got the boards pulled off, made plans to purchase a few more 1 x 6 boards that I will need, climbed up on the roof and removed a metal satellite dish mount that was causing water to drip down on the fence and rot the boards, swept the roof off (many years of pine needles piled up), and made my shopping list. I need to chop a few inches off of the 6 feet length boards, then I will be all set to rebuild the fence. Who builds a fence with 68" length boards, when the standard 72" would work fine? Just wanted to make more work? I don't get it. Anyway, I hope to get that done today, as well as mounting a section of eavestrough so that the fence doesn't get dripped on any longer.
After seeing actual progress on my fence repair job, I could have just lazed around the rest of the day. Instead, I got geared up and went for a 5 kilometer run, clocking in at 25 minutes and 4 seconds. I ate a delicious dinner, Sheila barbecued beef and shrimp kabobs and I even had a strawberry marguerita with it. After dinner, I asked Sheila if she wanted to go smack a few tennis balls. She hummed and hawed, and in a bit of an asshole move, I told Asher what my plans were. This sealed it, his tennis obsession still going strong, we were obligated to go. Sheila and I got a great workout, despite Asher being cranky. It was nearing bed time, and the sun was hot. Asher overcome his injury (he scraped his knee) and actually hit a few balls. We headed home, red faced and tired.
Though I have been pretty busy with life, I have found some time to enjoy a few movies, read a fair bit, and try out some new music. Some were more exciting then others, but all in all I have enjoy most of the entertainment I have consumed lately. I thought I would provide some short reviews in hopes that others may be inspired to also give them a try.
BOOKS
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" by Peter Hedges (1991)
This novel has been sitting around my house for a couple years. I picked it up at a garage sale, having heard a little about it and liking the 25 cent price tag. I was aware that one of the main characters had special needs, and this interested me. I had heard the movie was superb, featuring a young Johnny Depp alongside a young Leo DiCaprio. Still, I hadn't got around to it. I decided I would find books to read without heading to the library (Ironically, I can't afford the library) and I found this one on the shelf. Thank you Prince George Library for your exorbitant fines! While I always feel a bit euphoric after completing a book, and I am most likely to look back positively, but a few days later and I am still raving about this novel. Peter Hedges' writing is easy to read, and it flows well. This was the first book in a while that I completed in less than a week. The cynicism of the main character "Gilbert" had me thinking about the book a lot when I wasn't reading it. The relationships between the family and the youngest son "Arnie" were complex and always engaging. The mysterious girl that engages in a game of romantic cat and mouse with Gilbert had me guessing wrong again and again. I really liked that we didn't get a sappy conclusion to this dynamic. By the end of the book, Gilbert was becoming eerily similar in my mind to another character I quite like, "Napoleon" from the movie Napoleon Dynamite. Gilbert's pessimism makes for a great read, and it had my rooting for him to win in the end. The conclusion to the book is a bit dark, but at the same time, it provided and emotional release for the family after they had been suffering for so long. Pick this book up, you won't be disappointed.
"The Chosen" by Chaim Potok (1967)
I grabbed this book at the thrift store the other day, and started it minutes after finishing the book above. The novel examines the traditional Jewish faith, and the pressures that young Jewish boys face to remain devout followers. While I am only 80 pages into a 300 page book, I have found it quite engaging so far. I am ignorant to the customs of the Jewish faith, so I am looking forward to learning more. The main characters are quite likeable, and I am quickly getting into the story. Stay tuned, should be finished the book by next week.
MOVIES
"The Heat" directed by Paul Feig (2013)
I figured this movie would be solid when my buddy and I decided to go to it on opening night. Paul Feig was the genius comedic director behind "Bridesmaids", as well as credits for television including The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development, Nurse Jackie and Freaks and Geeks. For the record, I really like all of those programs, Parks and Recreation currently finding a spot in my top 3 sitcoms. My favorite current sitcom is Mike and Molly, starring one Melissa McCarthy, who also happens to star in "The Heat". I had a vague idea of the movie premise, McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are both in law enforcement and they team together in an odd couple pairing. McCarthy plays the loose cannon police officer, and boy is she loose. Crude, crass, vulgar, and awesome! The movie had me laughing almost non-stop, even Sandy B (shout out to Raj from Big Bang) brought some decent comedic chops. I will not ruin the plot for you, instead, I will let you know that this is a must see for fans of comedy movies. It's my favourite of 2013 so far!
"Monster's University" directed by Dan Scanlon (2013)
While my sister Erin was in town, most of my family made it out to a late night showing of Monster's University. I thought that the 1015 PM start time would mean that it would be quiet, despite it being cheap night. Well, I didn't know that 2 of the other movies would sell out, leaving dozens of adult couples no choice but to see this movie seemingly targeted towards kids. So, we arrived as the show started, and luckily my brother had saved us a row of seats, or we would have been out of luck. The seats were in the 3rd row, much too close for my taste. I also have a habit of falling asleep when I sit really close. Being that I was tired to begin with, you can imagine what happened. The parts I did see were great. Lots of funny stuff, many jokes that were geared towards the older crowd, while also making Jasmine laugh plenty of times. I will have to see it again when it comes out on home release.
"Goon" directed by Michael Dowse (2012)
So, I know that very few people have seen this film. With a total box office take of less than $7,000,000 this movie got very little love at theatres. I was lucky enough to see it in theatres, it was a bit of a surprise as limited release movies rarely make their way to Prince George. It was written by Seth Rogen's buddy Evan Goldberg in collaboration with Jay Baruchel. Baruchel, who is highly underrated as an actor also plays a supporting role in the film as Doug "the thug" Glatt's best friend. I was taken aback when I watched this film for the first time by Sean William Scott's acting talent. He is known for trashy roles playing the stereotypical party guy, but in "Goon" he character dimensions that I didn't realize he was capable of pulling off. The movie is about hockey, specifically hockey fighting. It is set in the maritimes, so there are many humourous stereotypically characters that are authentic to the region. I watched the movie again the other night with Sheila, and I am happy to report that she quite enjoyed it as well. Lots of funny parts, lots of hockey related violence, and even a little love story thrown in. A great date night movie. Support Canadian movies, go out and find this film!
"Idiocracy" directed by Mike Judge (2006)
A movie from the creator of King of the Hill as well as Beavis and Butthead. A box office take of less than $500,000 as it was barely even released to theatres. Relatively well known stars in Luke Wilson, Dax Sheppard, Maya Rudolph, and Justin Long. It's quirky to say the least. The premise is that Wilson and Rudolph's characters get locked in capsules as part of a suspended animation experiment. They are to be unlocked a year later, but are forgotten about. They end up waking up 500 years later into a world that has become increasingly less intelligent. At times, it is cheesy, but at other times it is quite clever. I am a big Mike Judge fan, so perhaps my positive impression a tad clouded, but you could do worse when chosing a comedy to watch.
"The Wendell Baker Story" directed by Andrew and Luke Wilson (2005)
Can you tell that I have been going through the filmography list of the Wilson family? This movie starred both Owen and Luke, the former as a currupt head nurse at a retirement home, the latter a parolee sent to work in the same home. In a unique take on the romantic comedy genre, Luke's character makes friends with a few of the residents, and this leads to them helping him win back his girlfriend who is set to marry another man. Great, lesser known stuff from the Wilson clan. If you avoid their commercial work, they are actually pretty good at the acting thing. Also, check out "Bottle Rocket" (1996) written and directed by Wes Anderson in his debut movie. Starring Owen and Luke, it's possibly Owen's best work of his career. He plays a deranged criminal who goes from one bumbling scheme to another attempting to make money and get ahead.
"The Departed" directed by Martin Scorcese (2006)
I had seen bits and pieces of this film before, but the other night at work I got to see the whole thing. Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and the lovely Vera Farmiga. Need I say more?
ALBUMS
I have been drawn mostly towards the electronica genre lately. I have been lucky enough to find a wide variety of great albums that I have listened to numerous times. Often, I find a recently released album that I really enjoy, then I go back through the artists other albums and find even more great stuff. A handful of the albums I have been enjoying lately:
Jagwar Ma - "Howlin" (2013)
CoCo Rosie - "Tales of a Grass Widow" (2013)
Boards of Canada - "Tomorrow's Harvest" (2013)
Majical Clouds - "Impersonator" (2013)
RP Boo - "Legacy" (2013)
Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories`(2013)
Culcha Candela - "Das Beste" (2010)
Showing posts with label novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novel. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Inside My Mind
I have been struggling to get something written this week. Normally, I look forward to my time spent pecking away. For some reason, come Monday this week I wasn't feeling it. I worked hard this weekend, the routine at work was broken by some unexpected situations. I am going to give you an old fashioned rambling blog. Follow along as I search my brain.
-Jasmine's soccer team. Wow! I was pretty discouraged to start the year. It seemed many of the girls weren't very interested in soccer, and I would have a trying time teaching new skills. I have to some extent, but I have spent my time instead encouraging aggression and working on finding the ideal position for each to girl to play. I have found 3 dedicated and strong defenders. Steve's (my co-coach) daughter has regained her confidence and along with Jasmine has been providing goal after goal. After starting the year with 5 losses and a tie, we are unbeaten in our last 3. After a 1-1 tie last week, a 3-2 win on Saturday, and a 2-1 win last night I'm not sure what the ceiling is. The girls are watching the game from the sidelines now, and when good things happen they are getting excited and screaming and yelling. I'm glad they are having fun with it.
-Queensway Auto World, member team of the 30+ division in the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League, did not concede a goal this week in 180 minutes of soccer. We used two different and very capable goalies in the games, but for the most part, they just watched. We knocked off the newest team in the league 3-0. then played the top team on Friday. A physical battle ensued, but we came out on top, in part thanks to a replacement goalie who allowed 3 very soft goals. It was all we needed. 3-0 scoreline once again. I didn't score, but I am getting a fair bit of time on the ball, and I can see the benefits of my conditioning. I had some fun, trying a move or two I don't usually go with. I pulled off the move where the ball heads through your legs, but you reach back at the last minute and heel pass it the other direction. I can't recall ever trying it before, and it even worked. At 3-1-1 we are now tied at the top of the table.
-My son is sports obsessed. He has to come to all of Jasmine and my soccer games. He takes part in the warm up with Jasmine's team. He kicks the ball around the backyard any chance he gets. A day doesn't go by without him playing hockey downstairs. He has to join me lifting weights every chance he gets. As I realize nearly every topic on my mind also has to do with sports, I guess it's not his fault. He was born with it.
-As I type, Asher has climbed up on the couch, set up a pillow and cuddled up in the blanket. This is about the same time he does this most days that we spend together. It's pretty cute. Making it even more so is that he is staring over at me batting his eyelashes as his eyeballs head into hiding. If I look over and smile, he smiles back, even bigger. What can I do but work hard to match his width? Smile away little man!
-Jasmine is pretty awesome in her own right. I don't get the super big smiles from her as often as I do Asher, but she still loves Dad. When I arrived to buy some goodies at her SPCA bake sale on Sunday, she ran up and gave me a huge hug. She was dressed very nicely with earrings and a nice dress, and her hair very fancy too. Jasmine and her friend had come up with idea to sell goodies and donate the money to the SPCA. Sheila slaved away making cookies, while the other girl and her mom made cupcakes. When I arrived, they had recruited a bunch of helpers. There was 7 or 8 of them altogether, having fun, helping out. Jasmine saw half of her class, either helping or buying goodies. Everything went, and after a few donations were added, the girls had $123 to give to the animals. They went down and gave the money to the SPCA last night, and Jasmine is very excited. She and her friend had their picture taken and may appear on the SPCA Facebook page!
-8 guys got together and drafted 10 players each for a hockey playoff pool. 6 of the 10 guys I grabbed were gone after the first round. I gave up on the pool, and barely caught a minute of round 2. I didn't realize that when I drafted David Krejci, I would be getting the leading playoff scorer. I watched as the Bruins dispatched the Penguins, and the Hawks knocked off the Kings. This leaves a bizarre situation. First place guy has 73 points but no players. Other guy also has 73 points and only Dave Bolland left who has 1 point so far. 68 points and in 3rd place, he has 4 players, 3 Hawks and 1 Bruin. I'm in 5th, 64 points, 4 guys, 3 Bruins and 1 Hawk. Two poolies will be rooting for plenty of 1-0 scores. One guy wants a long series with Chicago doing most of the scoring. I will be cheering for a long series with Boston scoring more. Only top 2 get paid, I will be certain to make money if I gain the magical 10 points to pass the tied guys. Assuming Dave Bolland doesn't get a hat trick or two.
-I got a little carried away yesterday. I did my chest and triceps workout in the morning and early afternoon, I was way to distracted playing around with Asher so it took me forever. I went and coached Jasmine's game. Came home and ate with Sheila and the kids. A fantastic chicken and rice dish, that had us all eating second helpings. After sitting and hanging out for a while I set out. A 7 km bike ride, the first time on my bike in 3 weeks. It felt good. I timed in at 18:07. I sat down for a bit. Checked on my fantasy baseball teams. I stretched out. I completed the 5 km run in 24:51. I finished off the night with a long leg workout, 8 exercises, 3 sets each. I discovered a new favourite exercise. 1 leg squats. Just your body weight. I even grab onto the weight bench to assist. I can do about 10-12 each side before the legs give out. Feeling alright today, was expecting the hit by a truck feeling.
-I'm reading again! I started "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" last week, and I have actually been spending some time with it. I like the original style of storytelling, and I get into these types of storylines quite easily. It has a very similar feeling to Aldous Huxley or George Orwell. Full report to come once completed.
-Sheila is thinking about turning her baking passion into a more serious endeavor. She is thinking about selling baked goods at the Farmer's Market, specializing in gluten free items. Jasmine would likely join her in the project, and it sounds like a great idea to me. Asher could wear a sandwich board and walk around promoting the booth. Who could resist that little smiling face?
-We are being very casual about planning our holidays in August. First we were planning to go spend some time on Vancouver Island. Now the plan is stalled at "camping". That where, how and the rest of it has yet to be determined. I would like less driving time and more relaxing time. Maybe somewhere near a city so that we can do some tourist type stuff too. Of course, any other city requires considerable driving time. We still have 2 months to figure this out, right?
-My fantasy baseball teams are doing pretty good so far. My 1 team has been in 1st or 2nd all season in the 12 team league. I keep finding studs on the free agent list, and 2 weeks ago I snagged Domonic Brown right before he produced 8 homers in 7 games. Jason and I share 1 team, and we have been top 3 all year. We currently sit comfortably in 2nd out of 10 teams. Lastly, I am in 7th of 13 in my other one. I have managed to put together a really solid pitching staff, and with a little work on my offense I could be contending.
-Until next time!
-Jasmine's soccer team. Wow! I was pretty discouraged to start the year. It seemed many of the girls weren't very interested in soccer, and I would have a trying time teaching new skills. I have to some extent, but I have spent my time instead encouraging aggression and working on finding the ideal position for each to girl to play. I have found 3 dedicated and strong defenders. Steve's (my co-coach) daughter has regained her confidence and along with Jasmine has been providing goal after goal. After starting the year with 5 losses and a tie, we are unbeaten in our last 3. After a 1-1 tie last week, a 3-2 win on Saturday, and a 2-1 win last night I'm not sure what the ceiling is. The girls are watching the game from the sidelines now, and when good things happen they are getting excited and screaming and yelling. I'm glad they are having fun with it.
-Queensway Auto World, member team of the 30+ division in the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League, did not concede a goal this week in 180 minutes of soccer. We used two different and very capable goalies in the games, but for the most part, they just watched. We knocked off the newest team in the league 3-0. then played the top team on Friday. A physical battle ensued, but we came out on top, in part thanks to a replacement goalie who allowed 3 very soft goals. It was all we needed. 3-0 scoreline once again. I didn't score, but I am getting a fair bit of time on the ball, and I can see the benefits of my conditioning. I had some fun, trying a move or two I don't usually go with. I pulled off the move where the ball heads through your legs, but you reach back at the last minute and heel pass it the other direction. I can't recall ever trying it before, and it even worked. At 3-1-1 we are now tied at the top of the table.
-My son is sports obsessed. He has to come to all of Jasmine and my soccer games. He takes part in the warm up with Jasmine's team. He kicks the ball around the backyard any chance he gets. A day doesn't go by without him playing hockey downstairs. He has to join me lifting weights every chance he gets. As I realize nearly every topic on my mind also has to do with sports, I guess it's not his fault. He was born with it.
-As I type, Asher has climbed up on the couch, set up a pillow and cuddled up in the blanket. This is about the same time he does this most days that we spend together. It's pretty cute. Making it even more so is that he is staring over at me batting his eyelashes as his eyeballs head into hiding. If I look over and smile, he smiles back, even bigger. What can I do but work hard to match his width? Smile away little man!
-Jasmine is pretty awesome in her own right. I don't get the super big smiles from her as often as I do Asher, but she still loves Dad. When I arrived to buy some goodies at her SPCA bake sale on Sunday, she ran up and gave me a huge hug. She was dressed very nicely with earrings and a nice dress, and her hair very fancy too. Jasmine and her friend had come up with idea to sell goodies and donate the money to the SPCA. Sheila slaved away making cookies, while the other girl and her mom made cupcakes. When I arrived, they had recruited a bunch of helpers. There was 7 or 8 of them altogether, having fun, helping out. Jasmine saw half of her class, either helping or buying goodies. Everything went, and after a few donations were added, the girls had $123 to give to the animals. They went down and gave the money to the SPCA last night, and Jasmine is very excited. She and her friend had their picture taken and may appear on the SPCA Facebook page!
-8 guys got together and drafted 10 players each for a hockey playoff pool. 6 of the 10 guys I grabbed were gone after the first round. I gave up on the pool, and barely caught a minute of round 2. I didn't realize that when I drafted David Krejci, I would be getting the leading playoff scorer. I watched as the Bruins dispatched the Penguins, and the Hawks knocked off the Kings. This leaves a bizarre situation. First place guy has 73 points but no players. Other guy also has 73 points and only Dave Bolland left who has 1 point so far. 68 points and in 3rd place, he has 4 players, 3 Hawks and 1 Bruin. I'm in 5th, 64 points, 4 guys, 3 Bruins and 1 Hawk. Two poolies will be rooting for plenty of 1-0 scores. One guy wants a long series with Chicago doing most of the scoring. I will be cheering for a long series with Boston scoring more. Only top 2 get paid, I will be certain to make money if I gain the magical 10 points to pass the tied guys. Assuming Dave Bolland doesn't get a hat trick or two.
-I got a little carried away yesterday. I did my chest and triceps workout in the morning and early afternoon, I was way to distracted playing around with Asher so it took me forever. I went and coached Jasmine's game. Came home and ate with Sheila and the kids. A fantastic chicken and rice dish, that had us all eating second helpings. After sitting and hanging out for a while I set out. A 7 km bike ride, the first time on my bike in 3 weeks. It felt good. I timed in at 18:07. I sat down for a bit. Checked on my fantasy baseball teams. I stretched out. I completed the 5 km run in 24:51. I finished off the night with a long leg workout, 8 exercises, 3 sets each. I discovered a new favourite exercise. 1 leg squats. Just your body weight. I even grab onto the weight bench to assist. I can do about 10-12 each side before the legs give out. Feeling alright today, was expecting the hit by a truck feeling.
-I'm reading again! I started "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" last week, and I have actually been spending some time with it. I like the original style of storytelling, and I get into these types of storylines quite easily. It has a very similar feeling to Aldous Huxley or George Orwell. Full report to come once completed.
-Sheila is thinking about turning her baking passion into a more serious endeavor. She is thinking about selling baked goods at the Farmer's Market, specializing in gluten free items. Jasmine would likely join her in the project, and it sounds like a great idea to me. Asher could wear a sandwich board and walk around promoting the booth. Who could resist that little smiling face?
-We are being very casual about planning our holidays in August. First we were planning to go spend some time on Vancouver Island. Now the plan is stalled at "camping". That where, how and the rest of it has yet to be determined. I would like less driving time and more relaxing time. Maybe somewhere near a city so that we can do some tourist type stuff too. Of course, any other city requires considerable driving time. We still have 2 months to figure this out, right?
-My fantasy baseball teams are doing pretty good so far. My 1 team has been in 1st or 2nd all season in the 12 team league. I keep finding studs on the free agent list, and 2 weeks ago I snagged Domonic Brown right before he produced 8 homers in 7 games. Jason and I share 1 team, and we have been top 3 all year. We currently sit comfortably in 2nd out of 10 teams. Lastly, I am in 7th of 13 in my other one. I have managed to put together a really solid pitching staff, and with a little work on my offense I could be contending.
-Until next time!
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Life Ain't So Bad
As I sit here at the computer on this fine Sunday morning, I am deep in contemplative thought. The sun is shining brightly through the window, something I just became aware of when I pulled the string to raise the blinds. The weather man couldn't decide what today was going to be like ahead of time, waffling between sun and cloud like a toothless old woman trying to chose which of her cats she prefers. It looks nice right now, and if the weather holds for another 8 hours, Jasmine, Sheila, Asher and I will probably spend time this afternoon beautifying our yard.
Our home is quite modest, and I am not one for going overboard with yard upkeep, but I do feel a certain level of pride when it comes to the appearance of our place. In the front yard we have a small garden plot, with a lilac bush in one portion of it. We will pull the weeds, rake the leaves out and plant a few new flowers in hopes that they survive the season. Sheila loves lilacs, they were her dearly departed mother's favourite flower, so in honour of her mom, Jasmine and I planted a second lilac bush in the front yard, near the road. We made a tiny circular garden space around it, and once again this year, we will add a few annuals to this little space. The flowers were safe from the Asher man last year, but he is another year older, and somewhat more destructive. He is smart little 2 year old, so I am hoping that an explanation from Dad will stop him from pulling heads off of flowers, or squashing the plants flat. We will have to see. We also have a small plot of gardening space in the backyard. Unfortunately, its located near the high wooden fence, and is partially blocked by a tall evergreen tree so we had limited success with the vegetables last year. With a bit more forethought, and a bit more attention from Jasmine and I, maybe we can see some better results. Ever year I get a little excited about gardening, though I wouldn't call myself an avid gardener. It's kind of fun to see if you have what it takes to grow a successful garden. As it is, we are about 0 for 5, but we will give it a go again this year.
The title of today's post is in reference to this past Tuesday's Provincial Election. The line above is one of a few different coping mechanisms I have been falling back on after the election resulted in a less than desirable outcome for myself. It truly is a bizzare feeling to support a party that was ahead in the opinion polls for 2 full years prior to the election, not once in that entire time were they behind, then have them fall soundly come election day. I was nervous coming into election day for a few reasons, and most of all, it's the power of the older crowd. Old people get out and do things when they matter to them. And when it comes right down to it, if you have the support of senior citizens, you can count on that support in the same way you can count on death and taxes. I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am disappointed in the younger crowd who simply didn't turn out at the polls, and most of all I am disappointed with the state of the political world as a whole. I have lived in Prince George for more than 10 years now where the municipal government, the provincial government and most certainly the federal government all lean heavily to the right of centre. I didn't cast a ballot for any of the people currently serving as my representative, save for 1 or 2 city councillors. What I see as a significant silver lining though, is that despite the fact that I don't care for the political ideals of these people who represent me, I am lucky enough to live in one of the best countries in the world. A country where even the politicians who represent the "right" are reasonably progressive. I am not going to get carried away, the federal Conservatives are far from proactive, but due to the culture of Canada, they are forced to move away from their most extreme ideals towards a more acceptable right of centre stance. Canada's version of right is actually left in many places in the world. We are so very lucky here in Canada to have the freedoms that we do have, so for me, despite the disappointment I felt earlier this week, I am just happy to have been born in a place and time where I am free to do or say almost anything. Will the Liberal Party do and say things that I don't agree with? Sure. Will they put economics ahead of people? Sure. But, I believe that while misguided, their intention is to do good. To improve the province that we live in. Time will tell, and if their track record is indicative, I will likely by let down, but even a let down in British Columbia is better than most places in the world.
Earlier this week, I finalized my plans for the summer in regards to sports and fitness. I had signed up for summer hockey a few weeks ago, then last week I committed to playing recreational soccer. I didn't play soccer last summer because it conflicted with Jasmine's soccer schedule. I also had written off playing in the open league due to frequence of weekend games that conflict with my work schedule. Saturday, as I haphazardly coached the opening game of Jasmine's soccer season, a friend of mine approached. His daughter is on our team, and I have been a soccer teammate of his in the past. I had asked him to help me out and coach the team for the next game while I was busy. Instead of asking about his coaching gig, he isntead inquired about my interest in playing with his soccer team. My reflex reaction was negative, as I knew the obstacle of scheduling would make things difficult. Also, I knew he was playing in the "30+" division, and I am stubbornly holding onto my twenties card, at least until my birthday in October. I asked my friend about the age thing, and he thought it was okay, as I will be 30 this year. We decided to wait and see, pending the schedule. It was released the next day, and it a happy twist of fate, many of the games fall on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and I can play most of them. I was officially drafted last Wednesday and the first game is in 3 days. I have abandoned a few buddies who are set to play in the recreational league, but the chance to play a higher level of soccer is one I want to take. I didn't play soccer at all last year, and spent the season before in the recreational league. Prior to that I played 2 seasons on a very weak division 2 team. Needless to say, it is likely that my new team will be the best team I have been a part of in a long time. My friend is the reigning "Top Defender" in the league, and he is the only member of my new team that knows my game. On his word, the team signed me up. It adds a little pressure, and I am admitedly a little nervous going to the first game. My love of fitness and exercise is continuing to grow and one of the fun things that comes with it is my ability to challenge myself. I look at this as one of those opportunities to put myself out there and go for it.
I spent some time the other day figuring out which days I could book off that would allow me to have a few extra free days with Sheila and the kids. The residual effect of this is that it frees me up to play a few more soccer games that fall on weekends, and it also opened me up to add another running race to my plans. As we stand, I am going to run 5 races this season, starting in 2 weeks when I run the YMCA Road Race. Adding soccer to my summer plans, to go along with the running races and the hockey games will lead to a few interesting tests of my stamina and fitness. One such situation falls of the weekend of June 14th and 15th. I have booked the days off, and will play soccer on the Friday night at 630. The next morning at 10, I plan to participate in the "Beat the Bugs" 10 km trail run. I really like to challenge myself, but this will likely be my biggest test yet. I'll let you know if I survive, a discontinued blog and you can draw your own conclusions.
My rekindled love of sports has shown up in Asher in spades. His favorite things are his "truckies", his potato heads, and his growing collection of sports gear. He has his set of plastic mini "gicks" and his mini hockey nets. He has a handful of hockey balls, hockey pucks, 3 or 4 "buuballs", a couple "gocker" balls, a "baaball" glove and bat to go with the balls themselves, and it goes on from there. On Thursday morning after we had roused ourselves from bed we went outside to go for a walk. Asher found his glove and ball, and we got distracted. Asher handed me the bat, and before long we were all set. Asher was the pitcher, and yes, he can throw. Standing about 15 feet away from me, he was able to throw a hittable pitch time and time again. I crouched down to his size so that he didn't have to throw it high, but nonetheless I was blown away by his accuracy. When I hit the ball, I would run across the yard to the fence, and he was able to figure out the idea of tagging me out. He would laugh hysterically as he chased after me, and when he caught me he even threw in the "you're out!" for effect. I snapped a couple of pics of the little guy and his gear, then when I attempted a video, hilarity insued. I wanted to show off to Sheila just how good he can toss the ball and I start to record. I provide commentary, then realize that Asher won't have me crouching down as a hitter to provide a target. I say "throw a pitch", while standing safely off to the side with the record button down. He winds up to throw straight ahead of him, but I had obviously caused some confusion. The throw came straight at me with perfect accuracy. I jumped out of the way while hollering, shocked that it was so perfectly thrown. I will have to rethink my videography plan before attempting it again.
We went for our walk, but not without the glove and ball that he wore the whole time. Our destination was the park at Jasmine's school where we stopped to play basketball. Asher wore his glove, and he tossed the ball at me while I shot hoops. I would retrieve the ball and throw it back, kind of like a game of fetch. Asher befriended a boy who was sitting on the park bench watching us. He was about 7, and Asher went right over and sat beside him. Smiling, waving and coaxing him into playing catch with him. Asher got his wish, but after a few throws his teacher hollered at him from across the way to sit back down. As it turns out my little man got him in trouble, but I love the way that he will be friendly with just about any kid that comes along. Asher is a lot more guarded with other adults, just the way we want him to be. Asher was disappointed that his new buddy couldn't play, but he joined me with the basketball instead. He dribbles the ball by slapping it as hard as he can, then when he is bored he passes it back to me. He doesn't get upset with the fact that he can't shoot yet, even with my help. We left the park and finished our walk. Later in the morning Asher joined me in lifting weights, its pretty funny how much he enjoys being like daddy. His 2 lb rubber dumbells get lifted up over his head repeatedly while he beams proudly. That night, as if we hadn't had enough sports, Sheila, Asher and I bought a soccer ball at the store. While we waited for Wawa while she attended a play with her Guide group, Asher and I played soccer. He decided that 2 signs that were close together provided a good enough goal, and he jumped between the pipes. It's really funny, but as a goalie he actively roots for people to score on him. The ball almost dribble across the line on him, but he decided it was close enough. He let out a big cheer for me, then ran to give me a big hug. Then on his prompting we switched places. He managed to get a few past me, he is already hitting a size 5 soccer ball with his instep, something I can't get some of the 9 and 10 year olds to do. When his time comes, he will be ready. If you are one who keeps track of such things, Asher played soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, swam and lifted weights this week. And they say we are getting inactive as a society, obesity rates are soaring and all is doom and gloom. Something tells me there is hope for us yet.
While Asher won't stop playing sports, Jasmine is a little different when it comes to physical activity. She is athletic that's for sure, but she doesn't obsess over sports the way her little brother does. Jasmine enjoys playing soccer and basketball with her teams and gets a lot out of her interactions with her teammates and coaches. She wants me to be her coach, and it provides some great father/daughter time that we both have fun with. While she has been gifted with an athletic body, and she is capable of great things, her desire to practice and work to get better isn't there. She just likes playing, and that is quite alright with me. Jasmine and I found a couple sports that she likes and it seems like she will stick with them long term. She's not worried about being the best, and it's nice because she doesn't get discouraged either. Besides her 2 teams sports, Jasmine has been an avid swimmer for her entire life. She goes at least once a week, and would stay all day if she could. This spring she has been riding her bike to school every day, and this has led her to going for more leisure rides as well. Her dedication to her bike has me on the lookout for a bigger one, something I promised as long as the current one got regular use. Hopefully the growth spurt is done for a while, and this next bike will fit for a while. It will be an adults bike so lets hope it works for a few years. Speaking of getting to big, she has also outgrown her soccer cleats, that she has never worn. That's right, Sheila found a bargain at the end of last season and stored the shoes away for the spring. Jasmine put them on last week for her first game, and found them to be too small. Like, 2 sizes too small. I took her to the mall to search for new ones, then we discovered with the sizing doohickey that she is actually completely out of kids sizes. This shouldn't be a surprise, she has been borrowing her mom's size 8 shoes for a while now. She needs a 7.5 in womens shoes, and dad had to go home to reformulate a plan. The adult shoes are much pricier then the kids ones, but hopefully they fit for a while once bought. Jasmine likes her sports, and I want to keep her comfortable while she plays. In the past week Jasmine played soccer and basketball, rode her bike every day, and swam on Wednesday. I am proud of both of my kids when it comes to the active lifestyles they have.
On the arts and culture front, my reading has stalled. I have been in the middle of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers for what feels like months now. I've been busy balancing family, exercise, extra work, poker and yard work and reading has been restricted to work time. I feel like I have been enjoying the book, but if I am going to be honest with myself, not picking up the novel is a sure sign that my interest isn't quite there. Hopefully I can make some progress on it this week, and I can move on to something else soon. The movie front has also been quiet. The last few weeks at work we have been unable to attend the theatre for various reasons. The last movie I watched if I remember correctly was "42". It was well done, with sports and drama mixing nicely. I think the last movie that Sheila and I watched at home was "The Adams Family". It was mediocre, and as is typical put me to sleep. Maybe we will find time this week to cuddle up and watch one, but with soccer season underway the schedule is filling up.
I have found a few great albums that I have been playing regularly in recent weeks. Apache Indian has a style of music that is unique to him. He is a British artist of Indian ancestry who created the genre "bhangramuffin". Most, including myself aren't familiar with the "raggamuffin" genre either which is a sub-genre of dancehall or reggae music. It relies more heavily on electronic instrumentation than reggae or dancehall does, and incorporates sampling quite often. Apache Indian puts a unique twist on it, in that he provides reggae style delivery with his indian accent. His sound is quite authentic as he practiced his craft, and recorded his albums with a number of different reggae artists in Jamaica. I can't help but move when I listen to it, and it never fails to lift my mood. The other new find is a dancehall group called Culcha Candela. They are a dancehall group formed in Berlin in 2001. The founding members go by the super cool names of Johnny Strange, Lafrotino and Itchyban. What I most enjoy about these guys is their multiculturalism, which leads them to incorporate english, german, spanish and jamaican patois into their tracks. The guys have German, Polish, Colmbian, Ugandan and Korean roots (there are now 7 members), and they move away from dancehall into reggae, salsa and rock genres as well. I have been playing their one album very heavily, and will likely give the rest of the work a try soon. Allow me to provide more info on both Apache and Culcha Candela, and a couple tunes as well.
Apache Indian Wiki
Culcha Candela Wiki
Last Sunday was a very nice day. After work Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I drove to Quesnel to celebrate Mother's Day. We stopped at the municipal cemetary to visit Sheila's mom. We brought tulips, and cleaned off her headstone. Asher didn't really understand, but he was well behaved while we stayed. After a few minutes, Asher and I wandered away and let Sheila and Jasmine have some quiet time to reflect. Jasmine has some recollection of her Nana, but she was only 3 when she passed away. Sheila had a chance to shed a few tears as memories flooded over her. It was very nice that we had the chance to visit on such a special day. We then went for dinner at my parents house, and had a nice visit with my Mom and my second Mom, Anna. She is my mom's best friend, and just a wonderful kind hearted woman just like my mom. My mom always loves to see the kids, and it was great to see her so happy on her special day.
I really am quite lucky in life. I have a girlfriend and kids that love me, and I also have a very supportive extended family as well. My mom and dad as well as my sister Paulette have been seeing us regularly, and I think everyone has enjoyed the increased contact. Rather than making excuses as to why we can't get together, we have all made an effort to see each other frequently. We only live an hour apart, and it seems that excuse of distance has been cast aside in recent months and over the past year. My mom has made a few solo jaunts to stay with us, something that I know is outside of her comfort zone, but once she arrives it seems that she quite happy for having made the trip. Asher and Jasmine never fail to bring a smile to her face. My younger sister Erin lives in Montreal, but we have also made a better effort to have regular contact. She makes me very proud when I discuss all of the things she has accomplished in her short life to this point. Erin and my brother in law Adam recently sent Sheila and I a lovely note to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day and it was a nice reminder of how lucky we are to have such family. My brother Ian lives in town here, and he and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in a few months. We are all getting very excited to meet him or her, and I know Ian and Larissa will be great parents. I am happy to be alive, and I hope all of my readers feel the same way. Have a great week!
I teased you all earlier about this video, then decided I had to include it as well. Watch Asher "Roger Clemens" Prosk nearly take out his Dad! Enjoy!
Our home is quite modest, and I am not one for going overboard with yard upkeep, but I do feel a certain level of pride when it comes to the appearance of our place. In the front yard we have a small garden plot, with a lilac bush in one portion of it. We will pull the weeds, rake the leaves out and plant a few new flowers in hopes that they survive the season. Sheila loves lilacs, they were her dearly departed mother's favourite flower, so in honour of her mom, Jasmine and I planted a second lilac bush in the front yard, near the road. We made a tiny circular garden space around it, and once again this year, we will add a few annuals to this little space. The flowers were safe from the Asher man last year, but he is another year older, and somewhat more destructive. He is smart little 2 year old, so I am hoping that an explanation from Dad will stop him from pulling heads off of flowers, or squashing the plants flat. We will have to see. We also have a small plot of gardening space in the backyard. Unfortunately, its located near the high wooden fence, and is partially blocked by a tall evergreen tree so we had limited success with the vegetables last year. With a bit more forethought, and a bit more attention from Jasmine and I, maybe we can see some better results. Ever year I get a little excited about gardening, though I wouldn't call myself an avid gardener. It's kind of fun to see if you have what it takes to grow a successful garden. As it is, we are about 0 for 5, but we will give it a go again this year.
The title of today's post is in reference to this past Tuesday's Provincial Election. The line above is one of a few different coping mechanisms I have been falling back on after the election resulted in a less than desirable outcome for myself. It truly is a bizzare feeling to support a party that was ahead in the opinion polls for 2 full years prior to the election, not once in that entire time were they behind, then have them fall soundly come election day. I was nervous coming into election day for a few reasons, and most of all, it's the power of the older crowd. Old people get out and do things when they matter to them. And when it comes right down to it, if you have the support of senior citizens, you can count on that support in the same way you can count on death and taxes. I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am disappointed in the younger crowd who simply didn't turn out at the polls, and most of all I am disappointed with the state of the political world as a whole. I have lived in Prince George for more than 10 years now where the municipal government, the provincial government and most certainly the federal government all lean heavily to the right of centre. I didn't cast a ballot for any of the people currently serving as my representative, save for 1 or 2 city councillors. What I see as a significant silver lining though, is that despite the fact that I don't care for the political ideals of these people who represent me, I am lucky enough to live in one of the best countries in the world. A country where even the politicians who represent the "right" are reasonably progressive. I am not going to get carried away, the federal Conservatives are far from proactive, but due to the culture of Canada, they are forced to move away from their most extreme ideals towards a more acceptable right of centre stance. Canada's version of right is actually left in many places in the world. We are so very lucky here in Canada to have the freedoms that we do have, so for me, despite the disappointment I felt earlier this week, I am just happy to have been born in a place and time where I am free to do or say almost anything. Will the Liberal Party do and say things that I don't agree with? Sure. Will they put economics ahead of people? Sure. But, I believe that while misguided, their intention is to do good. To improve the province that we live in. Time will tell, and if their track record is indicative, I will likely by let down, but even a let down in British Columbia is better than most places in the world.
Earlier this week, I finalized my plans for the summer in regards to sports and fitness. I had signed up for summer hockey a few weeks ago, then last week I committed to playing recreational soccer. I didn't play soccer last summer because it conflicted with Jasmine's soccer schedule. I also had written off playing in the open league due to frequence of weekend games that conflict with my work schedule. Saturday, as I haphazardly coached the opening game of Jasmine's soccer season, a friend of mine approached. His daughter is on our team, and I have been a soccer teammate of his in the past. I had asked him to help me out and coach the team for the next game while I was busy. Instead of asking about his coaching gig, he isntead inquired about my interest in playing with his soccer team. My reflex reaction was negative, as I knew the obstacle of scheduling would make things difficult. Also, I knew he was playing in the "30+" division, and I am stubbornly holding onto my twenties card, at least until my birthday in October. I asked my friend about the age thing, and he thought it was okay, as I will be 30 this year. We decided to wait and see, pending the schedule. It was released the next day, and it a happy twist of fate, many of the games fall on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and I can play most of them. I was officially drafted last Wednesday and the first game is in 3 days. I have abandoned a few buddies who are set to play in the recreational league, but the chance to play a higher level of soccer is one I want to take. I didn't play soccer at all last year, and spent the season before in the recreational league. Prior to that I played 2 seasons on a very weak division 2 team. Needless to say, it is likely that my new team will be the best team I have been a part of in a long time. My friend is the reigning "Top Defender" in the league, and he is the only member of my new team that knows my game. On his word, the team signed me up. It adds a little pressure, and I am admitedly a little nervous going to the first game. My love of fitness and exercise is continuing to grow and one of the fun things that comes with it is my ability to challenge myself. I look at this as one of those opportunities to put myself out there and go for it.
I spent some time the other day figuring out which days I could book off that would allow me to have a few extra free days with Sheila and the kids. The residual effect of this is that it frees me up to play a few more soccer games that fall on weekends, and it also opened me up to add another running race to my plans. As we stand, I am going to run 5 races this season, starting in 2 weeks when I run the YMCA Road Race. Adding soccer to my summer plans, to go along with the running races and the hockey games will lead to a few interesting tests of my stamina and fitness. One such situation falls of the weekend of June 14th and 15th. I have booked the days off, and will play soccer on the Friday night at 630. The next morning at 10, I plan to participate in the "Beat the Bugs" 10 km trail run. I really like to challenge myself, but this will likely be my biggest test yet. I'll let you know if I survive, a discontinued blog and you can draw your own conclusions.
My rekindled love of sports has shown up in Asher in spades. His favorite things are his "truckies", his potato heads, and his growing collection of sports gear. He has his set of plastic mini "gicks" and his mini hockey nets. He has a handful of hockey balls, hockey pucks, 3 or 4 "buuballs", a couple "gocker" balls, a "baaball" glove and bat to go with the balls themselves, and it goes on from there. On Thursday morning after we had roused ourselves from bed we went outside to go for a walk. Asher found his glove and ball, and we got distracted. Asher handed me the bat, and before long we were all set. Asher was the pitcher, and yes, he can throw. Standing about 15 feet away from me, he was able to throw a hittable pitch time and time again. I crouched down to his size so that he didn't have to throw it high, but nonetheless I was blown away by his accuracy. When I hit the ball, I would run across the yard to the fence, and he was able to figure out the idea of tagging me out. He would laugh hysterically as he chased after me, and when he caught me he even threw in the "you're out!" for effect. I snapped a couple of pics of the little guy and his gear, then when I attempted a video, hilarity insued. I wanted to show off to Sheila just how good he can toss the ball and I start to record. I provide commentary, then realize that Asher won't have me crouching down as a hitter to provide a target. I say "throw a pitch", while standing safely off to the side with the record button down. He winds up to throw straight ahead of him, but I had obviously caused some confusion. The throw came straight at me with perfect accuracy. I jumped out of the way while hollering, shocked that it was so perfectly thrown. I will have to rethink my videography plan before attempting it again.
We went for our walk, but not without the glove and ball that he wore the whole time. Our destination was the park at Jasmine's school where we stopped to play basketball. Asher wore his glove, and he tossed the ball at me while I shot hoops. I would retrieve the ball and throw it back, kind of like a game of fetch. Asher befriended a boy who was sitting on the park bench watching us. He was about 7, and Asher went right over and sat beside him. Smiling, waving and coaxing him into playing catch with him. Asher got his wish, but after a few throws his teacher hollered at him from across the way to sit back down. As it turns out my little man got him in trouble, but I love the way that he will be friendly with just about any kid that comes along. Asher is a lot more guarded with other adults, just the way we want him to be. Asher was disappointed that his new buddy couldn't play, but he joined me with the basketball instead. He dribbles the ball by slapping it as hard as he can, then when he is bored he passes it back to me. He doesn't get upset with the fact that he can't shoot yet, even with my help. We left the park and finished our walk. Later in the morning Asher joined me in lifting weights, its pretty funny how much he enjoys being like daddy. His 2 lb rubber dumbells get lifted up over his head repeatedly while he beams proudly. That night, as if we hadn't had enough sports, Sheila, Asher and I bought a soccer ball at the store. While we waited for Wawa while she attended a play with her Guide group, Asher and I played soccer. He decided that 2 signs that were close together provided a good enough goal, and he jumped between the pipes. It's really funny, but as a goalie he actively roots for people to score on him. The ball almost dribble across the line on him, but he decided it was close enough. He let out a big cheer for me, then ran to give me a big hug. Then on his prompting we switched places. He managed to get a few past me, he is already hitting a size 5 soccer ball with his instep, something I can't get some of the 9 and 10 year olds to do. When his time comes, he will be ready. If you are one who keeps track of such things, Asher played soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, swam and lifted weights this week. And they say we are getting inactive as a society, obesity rates are soaring and all is doom and gloom. Something tells me there is hope for us yet.
While Asher won't stop playing sports, Jasmine is a little different when it comes to physical activity. She is athletic that's for sure, but she doesn't obsess over sports the way her little brother does. Jasmine enjoys playing soccer and basketball with her teams and gets a lot out of her interactions with her teammates and coaches. She wants me to be her coach, and it provides some great father/daughter time that we both have fun with. While she has been gifted with an athletic body, and she is capable of great things, her desire to practice and work to get better isn't there. She just likes playing, and that is quite alright with me. Jasmine and I found a couple sports that she likes and it seems like she will stick with them long term. She's not worried about being the best, and it's nice because she doesn't get discouraged either. Besides her 2 teams sports, Jasmine has been an avid swimmer for her entire life. She goes at least once a week, and would stay all day if she could. This spring she has been riding her bike to school every day, and this has led her to going for more leisure rides as well. Her dedication to her bike has me on the lookout for a bigger one, something I promised as long as the current one got regular use. Hopefully the growth spurt is done for a while, and this next bike will fit for a while. It will be an adults bike so lets hope it works for a few years. Speaking of getting to big, she has also outgrown her soccer cleats, that she has never worn. That's right, Sheila found a bargain at the end of last season and stored the shoes away for the spring. Jasmine put them on last week for her first game, and found them to be too small. Like, 2 sizes too small. I took her to the mall to search for new ones, then we discovered with the sizing doohickey that she is actually completely out of kids sizes. This shouldn't be a surprise, she has been borrowing her mom's size 8 shoes for a while now. She needs a 7.5 in womens shoes, and dad had to go home to reformulate a plan. The adult shoes are much pricier then the kids ones, but hopefully they fit for a while once bought. Jasmine likes her sports, and I want to keep her comfortable while she plays. In the past week Jasmine played soccer and basketball, rode her bike every day, and swam on Wednesday. I am proud of both of my kids when it comes to the active lifestyles they have.
On the arts and culture front, my reading has stalled. I have been in the middle of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers for what feels like months now. I've been busy balancing family, exercise, extra work, poker and yard work and reading has been restricted to work time. I feel like I have been enjoying the book, but if I am going to be honest with myself, not picking up the novel is a sure sign that my interest isn't quite there. Hopefully I can make some progress on it this week, and I can move on to something else soon. The movie front has also been quiet. The last few weeks at work we have been unable to attend the theatre for various reasons. The last movie I watched if I remember correctly was "42". It was well done, with sports and drama mixing nicely. I think the last movie that Sheila and I watched at home was "The Adams Family". It was mediocre, and as is typical put me to sleep. Maybe we will find time this week to cuddle up and watch one, but with soccer season underway the schedule is filling up.
I have found a few great albums that I have been playing regularly in recent weeks. Apache Indian has a style of music that is unique to him. He is a British artist of Indian ancestry who created the genre "bhangramuffin". Most, including myself aren't familiar with the "raggamuffin" genre either which is a sub-genre of dancehall or reggae music. It relies more heavily on electronic instrumentation than reggae or dancehall does, and incorporates sampling quite often. Apache Indian puts a unique twist on it, in that he provides reggae style delivery with his indian accent. His sound is quite authentic as he practiced his craft, and recorded his albums with a number of different reggae artists in Jamaica. I can't help but move when I listen to it, and it never fails to lift my mood. The other new find is a dancehall group called Culcha Candela. They are a dancehall group formed in Berlin in 2001. The founding members go by the super cool names of Johnny Strange, Lafrotino and Itchyban. What I most enjoy about these guys is their multiculturalism, which leads them to incorporate english, german, spanish and jamaican patois into their tracks. The guys have German, Polish, Colmbian, Ugandan and Korean roots (there are now 7 members), and they move away from dancehall into reggae, salsa and rock genres as well. I have been playing their one album very heavily, and will likely give the rest of the work a try soon. Allow me to provide more info on both Apache and Culcha Candela, and a couple tunes as well.
Apache Indian Wiki
Culcha Candela Wiki
Last Sunday was a very nice day. After work Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I drove to Quesnel to celebrate Mother's Day. We stopped at the municipal cemetary to visit Sheila's mom. We brought tulips, and cleaned off her headstone. Asher didn't really understand, but he was well behaved while we stayed. After a few minutes, Asher and I wandered away and let Sheila and Jasmine have some quiet time to reflect. Jasmine has some recollection of her Nana, but she was only 3 when she passed away. Sheila had a chance to shed a few tears as memories flooded over her. It was very nice that we had the chance to visit on such a special day. We then went for dinner at my parents house, and had a nice visit with my Mom and my second Mom, Anna. She is my mom's best friend, and just a wonderful kind hearted woman just like my mom. My mom always loves to see the kids, and it was great to see her so happy on her special day.
I really am quite lucky in life. I have a girlfriend and kids that love me, and I also have a very supportive extended family as well. My mom and dad as well as my sister Paulette have been seeing us regularly, and I think everyone has enjoyed the increased contact. Rather than making excuses as to why we can't get together, we have all made an effort to see each other frequently. We only live an hour apart, and it seems that excuse of distance has been cast aside in recent months and over the past year. My mom has made a few solo jaunts to stay with us, something that I know is outside of her comfort zone, but once she arrives it seems that she quite happy for having made the trip. Asher and Jasmine never fail to bring a smile to her face. My younger sister Erin lives in Montreal, but we have also made a better effort to have regular contact. She makes me very proud when I discuss all of the things she has accomplished in her short life to this point. Erin and my brother in law Adam recently sent Sheila and I a lovely note to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day and it was a nice reminder of how lucky we are to have such family. My brother Ian lives in town here, and he and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in a few months. We are all getting very excited to meet him or her, and I know Ian and Larissa will be great parents. I am happy to be alive, and I hope all of my readers feel the same way. Have a great week!
I teased you all earlier about this video, then decided I had to include it as well. Watch Asher "Roger Clemens" Prosk nearly take out his Dad! Enjoy!
Monday, 29 April 2013
This is a Blog Post
I had grand illusions of using this space to let everyone know how busy I am. The truth is, that while I may have had a fairly busy week, the real reason that I am unable to produce a longer post is that my normal blogging time, the quiet of the early morning before the guys I care for have risen for the day, will be used for more important things. Later today, we are doing our annual refresher course for Therapuetic Crisis Intervention. It is required learning, and in the case of emergency at work, is beneficial to keeping myself and the guys safe. I am lucky in that the guys I work with are general calm and jovial characters, and I have little reason to use any of the training. That doesn't mean it's not worth knowing. Having peace of mind is a nice thing for mind, body and soul. I thought I would provide a quick update on the week that was, provided my time doesn't run out.
Last weekend, just over a week ago, I struck a deal with one of my competitors to "chop" our hockey pool. Those of you who are poker players will know the term, but the "chop" is a splitting of the prize money reducing the gap between the finishing positions and reducing the variance involved. We had 10 entrants at $100 each, and then 6 of the guys put in an extra $50 for a winner takes all side pot. Both Cam and I were in the side pot and had run away from the other 8 teams. We had 9 days left in the season, and I had closed the gap from 30 points to 8 points in the 2 weeks preceeding. First place with the side pot included was scheduled to get $1000, and second was set to get $225. I offered to make a deal, and within a couple of days, I recieved a response. $600 for him, $500 for me, and we play it out for the last $125. After doing some quick math, I decided to take the offer. I then proceeded to close the gap to 3 points with a few days left, but never did get any closer. I took second, and the $500. All in all, a good result after getting dead last in the same pool last season. My best picks? They were Patrik Elias late, Jakub Voracek when everyone giggled, and Matt Moulson.
Having locked up a bit of cash in the hockey pool, I decided it was time to get back to the poker tables. I made a few visits to the Treasure Cove this past week, and while mostly uneventful, I came out in the black. 10 days ago, on Friday after work I stopped in to play. I visited with a friend while I waited for a spot to open up. When I got in to play it was a quiet game, but I immeadiately started catching cards. While most of my good luck was being wasted due to a lack of action it was a very encouraging sign to at least be hitting. My luck had been so sour that anything positive was welcomed. As we sleepily played a limp and call type of game, I found a big hand. I played Queens for a raise in early position and got just one caller. I flopped a set, with an ace on the board. I got the call. When a second club turned and I led out again, I was promptly re-raised. I shoved for the rest of my stack (~$250) and managed to win when his A6 of clubs didn't hit. I booked a solid win that night, which had me itching to return. I played a few more times this past week, and while I broke even overall, I felt like I was playing really well. My game gets rusty due to inactivity, but I also don't have a ton of time to play when I am juggling everything that life throws at me. I have a couple more weeks to play, then soccer season starts which will cut into my free time quite significantly.
Speaking of soccer, I went and picked up the gear and schedules for Jasmine's team this past Saturday. The season is set to begin in less than two weeks, and I'm getting excited. I'm coaching with the same partner I had last year, and I really enjoyed hanging out with Steve. We both had the same goal, to help our girls and the rest of the team have a lot of fun. I think we were pretty successful last season, the girls all seemed to enjoy themselves, and we also won almost every game. Most of the wins came due to hard work and effort, as the girls grinded out plenty of close games. As I looked over the new team for this year, aside from Steve's daughter, I recognized only one other name. I'm looking at this as a chance to get to know some different kids and see what I can do to help them along their soccer paths. Enjoy the game, improve your skills while you are at it, and see where it takes us. I'm anticipating the challenge greatly.
I'm still contemplating what I am going to do for summer sports myself. I feel like I should play soccer, despite my annoyance over the escalating fees. I have had a number of recent discussions with people asking me if I am going to play. I bumped into a teammate from 2 years ago at the youth soccer office, and he asked me if I was going to play. I ran into an old Quesnel acquaintance and found myself encouraging him to get back into soccer (he was damn good 20 years ago when we were kids). I got together with my hockey pool buddies, and had a couple of them talking about playing. The recreational league doesn't conflict with Jasmine's soccer so that excuse is out the window. Just do it, right?
The hockey pool buddies only get together for one reason, and it was with that in mind that we met up last night. I had to collect my cash from the regular season pool, then turned around and handed part of the money back over for the playoff pool. Only 8 entries this time, we lost 3 guys and added 1. I didn't prepare properly, and the end result was a team I don't care for. Channeling all the powers of Nostradumbass I've expertly decided that Boston will meet and defeat Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final. This will happen after they beat Pittsburgh and Vancouver respectively in the Conference Finals. With that in mind, I tried to stick to those teams for my players. The problem being that Boston is quite a low scoring team that spreads their offense around. I didn't get my hands on the top Chicago guys, and the Pittsburgh guys went very quickly. This left me with Vancouver and all their talented snipers. Of course, I didn't get them, I got the second line guys. If these boys win, we can all be shocked together. I have Dave Krejci, Marian Hossa, Henrik Sedin, Patrice Bergeron, PK Subban, Tyler Seguin, TJ Oshie, Alex Burrows, Brendan Gallagher, and Jannik Hansen. To make life more interesting, I took a bet that says Vancouver beats San Jose in the first round. Yes, I hate the Canucks. And yes, I will be stuck cheering for them to some extent as I have 3 of their players, and a sizeable bet to see them win in the first round. Go me!
I think it's fair to say that I'm addicted to this exercise thing. I know, I talk endlessly about it, but it's now reached a whole new level. If I have an unproductive day, I feel off. Having a solid cardio or weight lifting session makes me feel better for the rest of the day. It frees my mind, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. I managed to nicely fill my week with exercise, and I am pretty damn proud of myself. I totalled 10 km running, 16 km biking, 9 km walking, 4 sessions with the weights, 2 hours of yard work, 2 trips to the swimming pool and as my Dad pointed out, spent plenty of time chasing a 2 year old. I time my runs, and this week I managed a 5km run in 23:40, my second run in driving rain and gusting wind clocked in at 26:01. I would be more then happy if I could run at that pace over the full 10 km next month when I race, but I am shooting for the more realistic goal of 5 minutes per kilometer. I know there is a different feel on race day, adrenaline, other runners to keep pace with and so on, so I am going to set a realistic goal and look to out pace it. I like they way the training is going so far.
I'm currently in the middle of two books. I usually like to read one at a time, but circumstances led me to having two on the go. I will politely describe my friend as a non-reader, someone who only picks up reading material when he needs to drop the kids off at the pool. When I visited him recently in Quesnel, I was chatting his wife up about reading and the books we have been enjoying. Next thing I knew and my buddy was chiming in with a strong recommendation to read "Crazy Man's Creek" by Jack Boudreau. My friend is an outdoorsman, loving all things that involve getting out in nature. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, tree sapping (is that the right term?), and mining are all interests of his. He told me he likes to read about thing that are "real", not made up stories, and he especially likes to read about the local area. He passed along his copy of the book, and the other day I dove in. It's a fun read, and I can relate to the idea that local stories add some interest as well. Most of the stories centre on the early half of the 20th century and the initial settling of the Prince George area. Thanks Richie for the solid recommendation! I'm also reaching the climax of another book on the Modern Library list, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. It's really good so far, another work from the Southern gothic genre, with a focus on black struggles against racism and opression. It really focusses on the nature of humanity, and the power of listening to one another. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Last but not least, I found time to enjoy a few movies the past couple of weeks. I got to the theatre 10 days ago with the guys to enjoy "42". I loved it, and I think most everyone will enjoy it. Baseball is the background for a great human rights story. Harrison Ford pulls off an awesome performance as Branch Rickey the man who decided to take it upon himself to break the colour barrier in baseball. If it wasn't for him, Jackie Robinson never would have got his shot. At home, Sheila and I caught "The Adams Family", which neither of us had seen. Meh. Really, it was okay, but the unique concept could have been done better. I got a kick out of seeing Christina Ricci again, as she was and still is one of my favorite actresses. When I saw her in "Casper" as a pimply youth of 12, I fell in love. Later, she cemented my crush with a steamy performance in "Buffalo 66" when I was 15. I was smitten, what can I say? I don't care for her looks much now, but nothing will take away that teenage attraction. I also watched "UHF" starring Weird Al this week. It was odd and quirky as you might expect, but it wasn't bad. It was made 24 years ago and led to Weird Al getting zero other movie roles, so maybe it wasn't well recieved amongst those who matter in the movie industry. All in all, I enjoyed it. I also watched "The Foot Fist Way" starring Danny McBride this week. Made on a whopping $78,000 budget, McBride is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd star. Playing the lovable loser who runs a kung fu training facility, he is convinced that he is a really big deal. No one else thinks so, and hilarity ensues. I already liked McBride from his work in a "Pineapple Express", "Hot Rod", "Tropic Thunder", "Your Highness" and this just makes him even cooler. Definitely, its worth a watch.
I have saved the most important bit for last, as my younger sister is set to celebrate a birthday tomorrow. Erin turns 28 tomorrow, and as the world turns we just can't stop getting older. I remember the days clearly in my mind when I would torment her endlessly. Despite the hell I put her through my sister become an amazingly accomplished woman. She holds a B.A. from McGill, a Masters from U.B.C. and she is currently keeping busy running a Compassion Club with her boyfriend in Montreal. I am very proud of her, and often enjoy bragging about the things she has accomplished. Happy Birthday Erin! I hope you enjoy your day, and find some time to relax and celebrate.
Last weekend, just over a week ago, I struck a deal with one of my competitors to "chop" our hockey pool. Those of you who are poker players will know the term, but the "chop" is a splitting of the prize money reducing the gap between the finishing positions and reducing the variance involved. We had 10 entrants at $100 each, and then 6 of the guys put in an extra $50 for a winner takes all side pot. Both Cam and I were in the side pot and had run away from the other 8 teams. We had 9 days left in the season, and I had closed the gap from 30 points to 8 points in the 2 weeks preceeding. First place with the side pot included was scheduled to get $1000, and second was set to get $225. I offered to make a deal, and within a couple of days, I recieved a response. $600 for him, $500 for me, and we play it out for the last $125. After doing some quick math, I decided to take the offer. I then proceeded to close the gap to 3 points with a few days left, but never did get any closer. I took second, and the $500. All in all, a good result after getting dead last in the same pool last season. My best picks? They were Patrik Elias late, Jakub Voracek when everyone giggled, and Matt Moulson.
Having locked up a bit of cash in the hockey pool, I decided it was time to get back to the poker tables. I made a few visits to the Treasure Cove this past week, and while mostly uneventful, I came out in the black. 10 days ago, on Friday after work I stopped in to play. I visited with a friend while I waited for a spot to open up. When I got in to play it was a quiet game, but I immeadiately started catching cards. While most of my good luck was being wasted due to a lack of action it was a very encouraging sign to at least be hitting. My luck had been so sour that anything positive was welcomed. As we sleepily played a limp and call type of game, I found a big hand. I played Queens for a raise in early position and got just one caller. I flopped a set, with an ace on the board. I got the call. When a second club turned and I led out again, I was promptly re-raised. I shoved for the rest of my stack (~$250) and managed to win when his A6 of clubs didn't hit. I booked a solid win that night, which had me itching to return. I played a few more times this past week, and while I broke even overall, I felt like I was playing really well. My game gets rusty due to inactivity, but I also don't have a ton of time to play when I am juggling everything that life throws at me. I have a couple more weeks to play, then soccer season starts which will cut into my free time quite significantly.
Speaking of soccer, I went and picked up the gear and schedules for Jasmine's team this past Saturday. The season is set to begin in less than two weeks, and I'm getting excited. I'm coaching with the same partner I had last year, and I really enjoyed hanging out with Steve. We both had the same goal, to help our girls and the rest of the team have a lot of fun. I think we were pretty successful last season, the girls all seemed to enjoy themselves, and we also won almost every game. Most of the wins came due to hard work and effort, as the girls grinded out plenty of close games. As I looked over the new team for this year, aside from Steve's daughter, I recognized only one other name. I'm looking at this as a chance to get to know some different kids and see what I can do to help them along their soccer paths. Enjoy the game, improve your skills while you are at it, and see where it takes us. I'm anticipating the challenge greatly.
I'm still contemplating what I am going to do for summer sports myself. I feel like I should play soccer, despite my annoyance over the escalating fees. I have had a number of recent discussions with people asking me if I am going to play. I bumped into a teammate from 2 years ago at the youth soccer office, and he asked me if I was going to play. I ran into an old Quesnel acquaintance and found myself encouraging him to get back into soccer (he was damn good 20 years ago when we were kids). I got together with my hockey pool buddies, and had a couple of them talking about playing. The recreational league doesn't conflict with Jasmine's soccer so that excuse is out the window. Just do it, right?
The hockey pool buddies only get together for one reason, and it was with that in mind that we met up last night. I had to collect my cash from the regular season pool, then turned around and handed part of the money back over for the playoff pool. Only 8 entries this time, we lost 3 guys and added 1. I didn't prepare properly, and the end result was a team I don't care for. Channeling all the powers of Nostradumbass I've expertly decided that Boston will meet and defeat Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final. This will happen after they beat Pittsburgh and Vancouver respectively in the Conference Finals. With that in mind, I tried to stick to those teams for my players. The problem being that Boston is quite a low scoring team that spreads their offense around. I didn't get my hands on the top Chicago guys, and the Pittsburgh guys went very quickly. This left me with Vancouver and all their talented snipers. Of course, I didn't get them, I got the second line guys. If these boys win, we can all be shocked together. I have Dave Krejci, Marian Hossa, Henrik Sedin, Patrice Bergeron, PK Subban, Tyler Seguin, TJ Oshie, Alex Burrows, Brendan Gallagher, and Jannik Hansen. To make life more interesting, I took a bet that says Vancouver beats San Jose in the first round. Yes, I hate the Canucks. And yes, I will be stuck cheering for them to some extent as I have 3 of their players, and a sizeable bet to see them win in the first round. Go me!
I think it's fair to say that I'm addicted to this exercise thing. I know, I talk endlessly about it, but it's now reached a whole new level. If I have an unproductive day, I feel off. Having a solid cardio or weight lifting session makes me feel better for the rest of the day. It frees my mind, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. I managed to nicely fill my week with exercise, and I am pretty damn proud of myself. I totalled 10 km running, 16 km biking, 9 km walking, 4 sessions with the weights, 2 hours of yard work, 2 trips to the swimming pool and as my Dad pointed out, spent plenty of time chasing a 2 year old. I time my runs, and this week I managed a 5km run in 23:40, my second run in driving rain and gusting wind clocked in at 26:01. I would be more then happy if I could run at that pace over the full 10 km next month when I race, but I am shooting for the more realistic goal of 5 minutes per kilometer. I know there is a different feel on race day, adrenaline, other runners to keep pace with and so on, so I am going to set a realistic goal and look to out pace it. I like they way the training is going so far.
I'm currently in the middle of two books. I usually like to read one at a time, but circumstances led me to having two on the go. I will politely describe my friend as a non-reader, someone who only picks up reading material when he needs to drop the kids off at the pool. When I visited him recently in Quesnel, I was chatting his wife up about reading and the books we have been enjoying. Next thing I knew and my buddy was chiming in with a strong recommendation to read "Crazy Man's Creek" by Jack Boudreau. My friend is an outdoorsman, loving all things that involve getting out in nature. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, tree sapping (is that the right term?), and mining are all interests of his. He told me he likes to read about thing that are "real", not made up stories, and he especially likes to read about the local area. He passed along his copy of the book, and the other day I dove in. It's a fun read, and I can relate to the idea that local stories add some interest as well. Most of the stories centre on the early half of the 20th century and the initial settling of the Prince George area. Thanks Richie for the solid recommendation! I'm also reaching the climax of another book on the Modern Library list, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. It's really good so far, another work from the Southern gothic genre, with a focus on black struggles against racism and opression. It really focusses on the nature of humanity, and the power of listening to one another. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Last but not least, I found time to enjoy a few movies the past couple of weeks. I got to the theatre 10 days ago with the guys to enjoy "42". I loved it, and I think most everyone will enjoy it. Baseball is the background for a great human rights story. Harrison Ford pulls off an awesome performance as Branch Rickey the man who decided to take it upon himself to break the colour barrier in baseball. If it wasn't for him, Jackie Robinson never would have got his shot. At home, Sheila and I caught "The Adams Family", which neither of us had seen. Meh. Really, it was okay, but the unique concept could have been done better. I got a kick out of seeing Christina Ricci again, as she was and still is one of my favorite actresses. When I saw her in "Casper" as a pimply youth of 12, I fell in love. Later, she cemented my crush with a steamy performance in "Buffalo 66" when I was 15. I was smitten, what can I say? I don't care for her looks much now, but nothing will take away that teenage attraction. I also watched "UHF" starring Weird Al this week. It was odd and quirky as you might expect, but it wasn't bad. It was made 24 years ago and led to Weird Al getting zero other movie roles, so maybe it wasn't well recieved amongst those who matter in the movie industry. All in all, I enjoyed it. I also watched "The Foot Fist Way" starring Danny McBride this week. Made on a whopping $78,000 budget, McBride is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd star. Playing the lovable loser who runs a kung fu training facility, he is convinced that he is a really big deal. No one else thinks so, and hilarity ensues. I already liked McBride from his work in a "Pineapple Express", "Hot Rod", "Tropic Thunder", "Your Highness" and this just makes him even cooler. Definitely, its worth a watch.
I have saved the most important bit for last, as my younger sister is set to celebrate a birthday tomorrow. Erin turns 28 tomorrow, and as the world turns we just can't stop getting older. I remember the days clearly in my mind when I would torment her endlessly. Despite the hell I put her through my sister become an amazingly accomplished woman. She holds a B.A. from McGill, a Masters from U.B.C. and she is currently keeping busy running a Compassion Club with her boyfriend in Montreal. I am very proud of her, and often enjoy bragging about the things she has accomplished. Happy Birthday Erin! I hope you enjoy your day, and find some time to relax and celebrate.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
A Book Review: Sons and Lovers
My reading so far in 2013 has veered off down a lonely road towards challenging and thought provoking. The last book I completed was "Time Must Have a Stop" by Aldous Huxley. It was at times difficult to remain interested, but knowing the intellect of the author I felt compelled to continue reading so as not to miss out on something monumental. In actuality I can't say that the book was anything more then a solid read, but "Sons and Lovers" by D.H. Lawrence provided the next challenge and it was indeed that. Finding a place at number 9 on the Modern Library list of the 20th century's best novels, I had a pretty good idea that the novel would prove enjoyable. As I have now read a large handful of novels from the list, I have had success in that all the works on the list have been well-written and thought provoking. They have been from a variety of genres, written in an array of different styles and it feels like I am truly learning new things about the art of writing whilst consuming the reading material.
The novel "Sons and Lovers" explores in excruciating depth the dynamics of family relationships, and the idea that your upbringing can shape considerably your personality and your ability to develop relationships outside of the family. This novel is unique in that it doesn't follow one central character throughout the work. It opens with a focus on the mother Gertrude Coppard, and examines her marriage to the miner Morel. She is of the middle class, and marries down into depths of poverty that she didn't realize when she first fell for Morel. He soon shows himself to be a functioning alcoholic who abuses his young bride which leads to Gertrude turning her love and affection towards her children, specifically the eldest William. Their father's abusive behaviour towards their mother leads the children to resent him, and to strengthen their bond with their mother.
The novel moves to focus on William the oldest son as he gets older and begins to move on with his life. He moves to London and quickly begins moving up in social circles. He distances himself from the family, only coming home for occasional visits. He develops a relationship with a young lady, but it seems that the relationship is based solely on status, as his lady friend appears dim witted and superficial. The author works masterfully in the subtle way that he has the mother Gertrude quietly disapprove of her son's relationship, but she is resigned to having lost control emotionally. The girlfriend returns with William to visit the family a few times and she proves to be as materialistic as suspected. The William chapter closes with him returning for a visit not long before the planned wedding. He is sickly and it seems that his bride-to-be had hardly taken notice. He returns to London despite his ill health and is dead days later. This serves as a prelude to the heart of the novel, as the mother turns her focus to her youngest son Paul who shows a more dynamic depth of character then her middle son Arthur or her daughter Annie.
The main focus of the novel emerges, as Paul struggles through his teen years into adulthood. He has developed an extreme dependence on his mother that had been nurtured and shaped significantly by Gertrude herself. This is graphically illustrated in Paul's inability to develop his relationship with Miriam. He can not fathom loving another woman as deeply as his mother. His mother for her part disapproves of his relationship with Miriam which provides another wedge that eventually leads Paul and Miriam apart. He is overwhelmed by the depth of Miriam's feelings for him, as he can not devote himself fully to her when his mother truly has his heart. Paul moves on to a relationship with Clara, a married but separated woman who was a friend of Miriam. While he is now adult and his sexual relationship with Clara is more significant then he had with Miriam, it becomes apparent that he once again is incapable of giving his heart to another. Clara being an already married woman adds to the complications of the situation.
As the work moves towards a conclusion, Gertrude ages and her children all move on and out, except for Paul. He feels attached to her in a way that leads him to pledge to her his heart eternally. Quite dramatically, the bond between the two teeters on the edge of inappropriate before Paul realizes that his mother is aging rapidly. In one passage he questions the "fairness" of life, not wanting to accept that his mother will at some point be gone. As his mother falls ill with a tumor, Paul's mediocre relationship with Clara disintegrates. He develops a friendship with her estranged husband who had at one point engaged him in a fight. He realizes that because he never did grant his heart to Clara, he had not earned her as a wife. She tells him plainly that despite her husband Baxter's failings he had opened up to her, granted her access to him wholly, unlike Paul who was so guarded and distant. His mother's illness rapidly advancing towards death, Paul begins to realize that he should return Clara to her husband. He distances himself from everyone, Clara, Miriam, his family distant and immediate. Paul arranges to reunite Clara and Baxter, and as he bids them adieu at the train station on their way to Sheffield, he appears resigned to being alone. His mother dead, his sister returns to her husband and their life together. His father, so distant from Paul, goes to live with acquaintances and Paul takes up a living arrangement in Nottingham where he works. The author paints a desolate portrait, Paul wandering through the city alone with little to no human contact. Suicide is contemplated at this time, but no action is taken. One night after a few weeks he attends church where he sees Miriam. Walking to say hello after the service, they decide to go to dinner together. Returning to his apartment after, D.H. Lawrence begins to hint at the young lovers reuniting. At this point Paul extinguishes any possibility of that happen as he appears to resign himself to being alone in his misery. He seems to be punishing himself for his prior treatment of Miriam, knowing that he is not deserving of a wife so in love with him. Being unable to reciprocate as he never learned how to love, Paul sees Miriam out of his apartment as the novel closes.
I didn't realize while reading this book how much it made me think. I struggled at times to keep my interest, but eventually I read a significant portion of the 420 pages in a few days. The message becomes overwhelmingly vivid, and it really is an important one. An inability to love can be crippling.
The novel "Sons and Lovers" explores in excruciating depth the dynamics of family relationships, and the idea that your upbringing can shape considerably your personality and your ability to develop relationships outside of the family. This novel is unique in that it doesn't follow one central character throughout the work. It opens with a focus on the mother Gertrude Coppard, and examines her marriage to the miner Morel. She is of the middle class, and marries down into depths of poverty that she didn't realize when she first fell for Morel. He soon shows himself to be a functioning alcoholic who abuses his young bride which leads to Gertrude turning her love and affection towards her children, specifically the eldest William. Their father's abusive behaviour towards their mother leads the children to resent him, and to strengthen their bond with their mother.
The novel moves to focus on William the oldest son as he gets older and begins to move on with his life. He moves to London and quickly begins moving up in social circles. He distances himself from the family, only coming home for occasional visits. He develops a relationship with a young lady, but it seems that the relationship is based solely on status, as his lady friend appears dim witted and superficial. The author works masterfully in the subtle way that he has the mother Gertrude quietly disapprove of her son's relationship, but she is resigned to having lost control emotionally. The girlfriend returns with William to visit the family a few times and she proves to be as materialistic as suspected. The William chapter closes with him returning for a visit not long before the planned wedding. He is sickly and it seems that his bride-to-be had hardly taken notice. He returns to London despite his ill health and is dead days later. This serves as a prelude to the heart of the novel, as the mother turns her focus to her youngest son Paul who shows a more dynamic depth of character then her middle son Arthur or her daughter Annie.
The main focus of the novel emerges, as Paul struggles through his teen years into adulthood. He has developed an extreme dependence on his mother that had been nurtured and shaped significantly by Gertrude herself. This is graphically illustrated in Paul's inability to develop his relationship with Miriam. He can not fathom loving another woman as deeply as his mother. His mother for her part disapproves of his relationship with Miriam which provides another wedge that eventually leads Paul and Miriam apart. He is overwhelmed by the depth of Miriam's feelings for him, as he can not devote himself fully to her when his mother truly has his heart. Paul moves on to a relationship with Clara, a married but separated woman who was a friend of Miriam. While he is now adult and his sexual relationship with Clara is more significant then he had with Miriam, it becomes apparent that he once again is incapable of giving his heart to another. Clara being an already married woman adds to the complications of the situation.
As the work moves towards a conclusion, Gertrude ages and her children all move on and out, except for Paul. He feels attached to her in a way that leads him to pledge to her his heart eternally. Quite dramatically, the bond between the two teeters on the edge of inappropriate before Paul realizes that his mother is aging rapidly. In one passage he questions the "fairness" of life, not wanting to accept that his mother will at some point be gone. As his mother falls ill with a tumor, Paul's mediocre relationship with Clara disintegrates. He develops a friendship with her estranged husband who had at one point engaged him in a fight. He realizes that because he never did grant his heart to Clara, he had not earned her as a wife. She tells him plainly that despite her husband Baxter's failings he had opened up to her, granted her access to him wholly, unlike Paul who was so guarded and distant. His mother's illness rapidly advancing towards death, Paul begins to realize that he should return Clara to her husband. He distances himself from everyone, Clara, Miriam, his family distant and immediate. Paul arranges to reunite Clara and Baxter, and as he bids them adieu at the train station on their way to Sheffield, he appears resigned to being alone. His mother dead, his sister returns to her husband and their life together. His father, so distant from Paul, goes to live with acquaintances and Paul takes up a living arrangement in Nottingham where he works. The author paints a desolate portrait, Paul wandering through the city alone with little to no human contact. Suicide is contemplated at this time, but no action is taken. One night after a few weeks he attends church where he sees Miriam. Walking to say hello after the service, they decide to go to dinner together. Returning to his apartment after, D.H. Lawrence begins to hint at the young lovers reuniting. At this point Paul extinguishes any possibility of that happen as he appears to resign himself to being alone in his misery. He seems to be punishing himself for his prior treatment of Miriam, knowing that he is not deserving of a wife so in love with him. Being unable to reciprocate as he never learned how to love, Paul sees Miriam out of his apartment as the novel closes.
I didn't realize while reading this book how much it made me think. I struggled at times to keep my interest, but eventually I read a significant portion of the 420 pages in a few days. The message becomes overwhelmingly vivid, and it really is an important one. An inability to love can be crippling.
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