Wow! I and we, all of us, this means you have survived the year that was 2012. Looking back at the year that was I would have to say that I enjoyed some personal success. Also, I got to enjoy being a part of a pretty good year for my family both immeadiate and extended.
Highlights of the past year include our family trip to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Montreal. This was great fun as we spent time with 2 great people, got to see the sights of Montreal and Jasmine and Asher got to experience their first plane trip, one that Jasmine particularly will remember forever. Witnessing the culture and the variety of life that Montreal has to offer gave me significant food for thought and has altered the way I think about people and the way we interact.
Another highlight for me was seeing significant growth in my relationship with my mom as well as other members of my family. My mom has been battling some health issues for a few years, and my complacency and lack of respect for our bond had led to us growing apat somewhat. We would talk very infrequently on the phone, and despite there being only an hour or so between my family and hers we didn't see each other as often as we could or should. Sheila and I made a point of letting mom know that we wanted her to get more involved, get to know Jasmine and Asher more and that she was welcome at our place anytime along with my dad and older sister as well. While we started chatting more on the phone in the spring, and we saw them a few more times both here in Prince George and in Quesnel at their home, I believe my mom was still battling significant stress in regards to her health and the huge lift altering decision about retirement. I'm not privy to the exact date or time that my mom made the decision to retire, but it seemed she became much more relaxed and easy going throughout the summer. She and my dad went on an amazing vacation/cruise that took them to some cool places like Estonia, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Ireland and upon their return my mom let us know that she was indeed going to retire. My dad has been very supportive of this choice, and I myself thought it was the right decision. Now, after seeing my mom through her first 4 months of retirement, I am more certain that she did indeed make a great decision. My mom can be a quiet and reserved person, but she can also be very friendly and easy going. She spends a lot of her time doing things for others with little fanfare. I have actually lost count of how many visits we have had with her since September, but every time she comes we really enjoy it. Her comfort level with Asher and Jasmine has grown leaps and bounds, and it is truly awesome to see. She has come for overnight visits, weekend stays and in October she moved in for a week while I was away in Vancouver to pursue my poker dream. If you had told me that scenario would happen even a few years ago, I could not have concieved it. Sheila and mom my have built their relationship more in the past 6 months then they had in the previous 6 and a half years, swapping advice on kids, going for outings together and what not, it has been great to see. Thanks mom, it really has been great to see you come out of your shell!
Before I get carried away with the year just passed, I would like to get to my "resolutions" for the coming year. I prefer the term "goals" as many of the items I will include on this list are pretty open ended. I want to encourage myself to strive for personal growth, and to push towards being a better person, better husband (oops, that's not technically correct), better dad, better son, better brother and so on. If I work towards these goals, I believe 2013 could be a darn good year. Shall we?
Okay, while considering this further I have decided to break these down into sections: family related goals, and personal goals. To start, my goals that involve my family members.
1) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY TIME WITH ASHER
While I considered how to phrase this goal I gave thought to just how lucky I am to be home with my nearly 2 year old son 3 days a week and how many dad's would kill for that situation. Many dad's are away working for weeks at a time, so to have this opportunity is something I really need to take better advantage of. Don't get me wrong, Asher loves his daddy, but I feel like I could be doing more. Most days we drop Jasmine off at school and then retreat to the basement where I fart around on the computer and slowly workout while Asher plays around me, and of course with me. He gets a real kick out of being dad's spotter, holding my feet down for me while I bench press. Often he runs over to provide the help without being prompted. Now, as a typical parent I think Asher is the coolest little man in the whole world. He is as perfect as can be, but even perfect can be improved. Due to lots of his time being spent with mom, dad and Jasmine as well as Grandma and Grandpa and his other family members, Asher has developed an unwillingness to share and play nicely with other children. The key part of this goal is to start attending the Strong Start Program at Malaspina (Jasmine's school) at least once a week. We went once before Christmas and Asher had a great time, with lots of things to play with that we don't have at home. It's nice to interact with other parents when you are there too, and I have much to learn from others as well. After a month or two if I am feeling ambitious I will look for other activities that Asher and I can do during the day when Jasmine is at school and Sheila is at work.
2) DO MORE ACTIVITIES WITH JASMINE
I realize that this goal is very open ended but it is something that I really want to work on. Jasmine and I spend some time together, but I know she and I would both benefit from doing more things together both for fun and for fullfillment. She and I are both involved in basketball once a week, and we still do our weekly swimming trips on Wednesday with Asher. We probably saw 4 or 5 movies at the theatre together this year. There was also soccer in the spring. Here is me stating to the world that we need to spend more time doing things together. My daughter is a very passionate person who's level of caring for others is quite awe inspiring. We have talked for years about doing some volunteering together. This would be great for us to bond while at the same time it would feel good to help others. I want Jasmine to be exposed to those that are less fortunate as she has been developing a sense of entitlement and we did see a little lack of appreciation this Christmas. The place I am most partial too is the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and perhaps our best bet would be to volunteer at their soup kitchen. There may be age restrictions for volunteering, so Jasmine and I will have to do some research in the coming weeks. Of course, we both like to have fun also so I am really going to work hard on getting her out of the house to enjoy the outdoors more often. Skating outdoors at the oval or neighbourhood rinks, sledding at the nearby hill, bike riding in the summer, hiking in the woods are all things that Jasmine enjoys but rarely suggests doing. Getting her away from the electronics more often is a very important goal for me this coming year.
3) STRENGTHEN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH SHEILA
After being together for more then 7 years, you would think that Sheila and I had the most perfect of relationships. Of course, that's a bunch of malarkey and for the most part, it's the me part of the relationship that needs improvement. We are both pretty busy people. Sheila works full-time, me nearly full-time and we have the odd hobby that takes up additional time, oh and then there are the kids. It is important that we take time together and work as a team to make our relationship run more smoothly. I had a period of time in 2012 where I was full of energy and was making a concerted effort to help out more around the house. We aren't talking about more then my share, but perhaps creeping my way closer to 50% of the housework and menial tasks that need doing when you have a house and kids. I also found that when I was doing more, Sheila was happier, go figure. Later in this post I will post goals in regards to my health that will hopefully lead to me regaining my previous energy levels, and combined with this goal that I know my dear lady will read, will lead to a fire being lit under my lethargic ass. That is step one. Another thing is that while we have the children and that makes it much harder to get out of the house and do things just the two of us, that doesn't stop us from spending time together at home in te evenings when the kids are in bed for the night. Recently, we have gotten back to watching movies together which we both really enjoy. Also, a couple of days ago we got to go out for a nice dinner and swimming date which was also lots of fun. So there you have it, I have carelessly and wrecklessly promised to be a better partner in the coming year and this is all the proof you need Sheila.
4) KEEP FAMILY AND FRIENDS CLOSER
For those that know me, you won't be shocked to see me state that I have a problem with relationships. I can be very anti-social and it is something that I am not proud of. I will often meet new people, enjoy their company, have an opportunity to hang out, get to know them better and I just let the time slip away. I struggle with this. I am very self-concious about what other people think of me. I am always convincing myself that my company is not something that people want. This makes me pretty inept when it comes to making new friends, and it also effects my ability to keep in contact with people that I have established relationships with. I patted myself on the back earlier for the improved relationship I have with my mom, and I have also been in contact with my sister Erin more often this year then any year since we last lived together full time more then 10 years ago. These successes are only a start. I need to pick up the phone and make an effort. I want to talk to friends more often, I want to spend time hanging out with people. Friends with kids are even better, as shooting the breeze over coffee is easier of the kids are having fun at the same time. I aim to work at getting over my anxiety issues and anti-social tendencies, and this goes hand in hand with feeling better about myself.
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Now, we will move on to the personal goals section of this post, and perhaps to facilitate actually finishing this post, I will make each goal a little shorter in description.
1) BLOG REGULARLY
Nothing too crazy, but I would like to continue to write/type content for this blog. I completely fell off the rails the last half of the year, and while school work had something to do with it, I often found myself making a plethera of excuses. My goal is to post on this page once a week on average and to mix in more opinionated material. British Columbia is fast approaching an important provincial election so I should have plenty of material to work with.
2) IMPROVE MY HEALTH
I had some tremendous momentum going in the spring and summer months this year, and I can say definitively that by the end of August I was in the best shape of my life. As a teen I was a bone rack with no fat in sight, but I also was void of muscle. When the weather was nice, almost all of my recreational activities with and without the kids involved some kind of physical activity. Bike riding, jogging, playing at the park, swimming, walks with Sheila, work outs at home, yard work, I looked at all these activities at serving multiple purposes. I was also regularly taking a number of supplements that helped my general feeling of well. I vividly remember one morning in the summer when I got up before Sheila left for work (this was my day off) and jogged 3 km in the crisp morning air. I came home and while watching Asher got a weight session in. By 930 am I felt like a million bucks. Physical activity tends to boost my energy levels greatly, and I went on to have an extremely productive day. While I have still been lifting weights fairly regularly, and I am a member of a rec hockey team this winter, my energy levels have dropped off drastically. I have also gained a few pounds back, a painful reminder of just how easy it is to let it all go again. I don't want that, not after all the work I put in.
I plan to continue to lift weights 3-4 times per week. I will make it hockey whenever I am available. On top of that as outlined above, Jasmine and I are going to get out to the skating rink and the sled hill more regularly. I am going to start drinking my protein and creatine shakes more often. I will consume my multivitamins, fish oil caps, green tea pills and glucosamine on a daily basis. I want to get this back on track.
3) WORK ON CAREER GOALS/MOVE TOWARDS IMPROVING EMPLOYMENT SITUATION
I really am pretty blessed. I make enough money at work and at poker to make ends meet, put a small amount aside for family vacations and contribute to an RESP for the children. Between Sheila and I, we get it done. At the same time, having the budget as tight as it is can be very stressful on both of us. I would love to be able to blow money whenever I felt like it, but I also like having a roof over our heads. At work, I have a job that while uneventful is not all that stressful or difficult. My biggest complaint is that it is not challenging, and I have little right to complain about that. All of that being said, I'm nearing my 30th birthday and I have not landing myself in a "career" situation. I don't want to be counting every quarter until the day I retire. My career ambitions are pretty cloudy at this point. This goal is to motivate me towards improvement in some way. I need to look at the options and viability associated with the management realm at my current job. The program managers, which is the lowest tier in the management pyramid make about 30% more then I do, and they get the desirable Monday to Friday 9-5 schedule. My other option is to look elsewhere for work, taking advantage of my employment experience and the degree that I hold. I will take steps towards this in 2013.
4) MAKE AT LEAST $500 PER MONTH PLAYING POKER
This one truly is a softball. If I put in the time, I will do this. I am very confident in my abilities, and I have a 5 year track record proving that I win at the game. Averaging less then 8 hours of play per week, I managed to earn nearly $12,000 in 2012 playing poker. I also made an additional $800 or so playing on the computer casually. Now, I am fully aware of the luck factor and variance involved in playing, hence the low target of $6,000 for the year 2013. I was profitable every month this year, save for May when I lost 60 bucks, and December when I lost 150 or so while only playing 6 hours total. After my poker trip to Vancouver I kind of lost my feel for the game and ended up making absolutely nothing over the last two months of the year. I need to find that motivation again, which should be easy since Sheila, Jasmine and Asher are all counting on me. Some profit is needed to pay the bills, but some is used for fun stuff too, which is just as important as the bills. I plan to read from my extensive poker library and work on improving my game to make it more profitable.
5) READ MORE OFTEN
I read 26 novels this year, ranging from the terrible "Alexandria of Africa" by Eric Walters to a few absolute classics. Likely fodder for another post my favorites included: "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz, and "Last Words" by George Carlin. My reading time dropped off drastically towards the end of the year, as mid year I was reading nearly a book a week. Some like Ellison's book were big, his was 600 pages, but other books I just didn't get into. I will read more this year, I enjoy it, it's relaxing and it provides great conversation fodder.
6) COMPLETE HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
This one really bugs me. As a home owner, I am beginning to realize just how often shit goes wrong with a house. The project list keeps piling up, and sometimes financial reasons mean I have to put these things off. Many times though, it's just me, my brain and my muscles that are required. These tasks need to get done with more haste. If something requires assistance, and it is in my budget, then I need to make the calls and arrangments to get it done. Making a list is great, making work is better.
Monday, 31 December 2012
Monday, 15 October 2012
Busy life, good life.
As I reflect on the week that was, I realize that quite a few things occurred, fun, fullfilling or otherwise. As usual, dad spent Monday afternoon and Tuesday recovering from the lack of sleep over the weekend.
On Tuesday Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I went to the theatre to see "Frankenweenie". We thought we would try Asher at this because he has been watching some television lately, and often stays involved for reasonably long periods of time. As it turns out, he isn't quite ready. He sat down as we arrived just as the movie started. He was on his booster seat with his tiny 3d glasses on and actually sat still for about 3 minutes. Then as soon as dad thought about his sitting still, it ended. A bag of popcorn to distract only worked for a while, and in the end mom and Asher had to leave with about 15 minutes left. The movie was very well done by Mr. Tim Burton and Jasmine and I both left satisfied.
Wednesday, I took Asher and Jas to the pool after school, the Aquatic Centre had reopened after being closed a month for maintenance. Asher was in all his glory, jumping and screaming with excitement most of the time we were there. He did spoil Dad though allowing me a few trips to the hot tub where he sat nicely and gave me a chance to relax a bit. Taking the little guy to the pool is a great workout, just trying to keep him safe is extremely intense and thankfully its only him I have to worry about. Jasmine is very good in the water and she had met up with one of her best friends and was off doing his thing. After swimming we drove up the Hart Highway to run an errand, and Jasmine stopped at her friend's house to say hi.
During the day on Thursday I read in the paper about the opening of a new park a Duchess Park and we decided to go and check it out. Jasmine is very enthusiastic about all things park related, and she was screaming with excitement when I surprised her and drove up to the park. I had her convinced we were just running a few errands, so the park was a happy shock. The new playground was designed to be fully accessible for those children in wheelchairs, and by all observations there is little fault to be found in the set up. Asher was having a blast as all of the ramps made for easy maneuvering and easy access to the kiddie slides. He also had a lot of fun on the shifting pirate ship and the sit down merry go round that dad sat on with him. Jasmine really had a good time too, as there was parts of the park that were designed for older kids, a 15 foot high slide, complete with vertical ladder to access it, a spinning wheel that you could hang from and rapidly send yourself into a dizzying whirlwind, as well as a climbing structure made of heavy rope that was shaped like the Eifel Tower. (Jasmine actualy pointed this out, telling me the thing was "like Paris". How she knew this, I don't know.) After a quick trip to Parkwood Mall, we returned home to start dinner.
Friday brings the start of my work week, but it didn't stop me from getting out and having a good time. We had a few tickets to the hockey game, so the guys, myself and a second staff member all went to the Spruce Kings game after dinner. One of the guys comes to a number of games with me and quite enjoys it. The second guy isn't as into sitting still and watching the game but he did very well on Friday. We all enjoyed ourselves, and the game was well played as well. Prince George won 2-1 in a good defensive battle with plenty of solid hits. After seeing a number of good movies at work in recent weeks, I have really been enjoying our weekly Friday night outings. It really helps me forget that I am weekend warrior who rarely gets a weekend to myself.
The hits kept coming as I got up Saturday to a nice egg scramble and bacon breakfast that Sheila had made. I forced myself to get my workout in, and after mom and dad showered we all jumped in the car for a trip to the "Pumpkin Patch". Not having been before, I had checked out the website to find out that for $5 each we could all hang out on the farm and the kids got a free pumpkin as well. With that in mind we arrived to find it quite busy, around ~25 families were out and about. I hadn't even realized that Blackspruce Farms also operates a petting zoo year round, and that was also included for the tiny 5 dollar fee. Armed with a bucket of feed (also included) the kids had a blast visiting with goats, bighorn sheep, potbellied pigs, cows, ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens, bunnies and more. Asher sat briefly and held the baby bunny, he is really curious these days so his attention span is short, but he loved how the bunny was sitting on him. The kids spent some time playing on the playground they have before we went to pick our pumpkin. Being that we live in the frozen north and spring and summer total about 4 months, we can't have a real pumkpin patch in Prince George. Instead, in one of the fields an area was roped off and store bought pumpkins had been spread all around. This was awesome for toddlers as they didn't realize this wasn't a genuine pumkpin patch. Asher was overwhelmed with the quantity of pumpkins in the field. He had a blast bending over at nearly every one and attempting to pick them up. He managed to get one in the air, laughed hysterically and dad had to help or he would have fallen over. He almost lost his mind when he saw the green pumpkin, something was obviously different about it and he knew it. Jasmine also enjoyed running around to find the perfect one for her, and is now attempting to get permission to carve it yesterday or today or tomorrow. The poor girl loves Halloween despite a huge fear of rubber masks and scary decorations. She had a few bad experiences that have left her emotional scarred. It's too bad because she really is a tough cookie most of the time, and Halloween is the only thing I can think of that evokes these kind of emotions. This is a girl who would spend a week at a time away from mom and dad at the age of 3 and not get home sick (she was with Papa and Aunties). Jasmine was jumping off the 5 meter dive platform at age 6 (something I didn't do until age 25). She has no qualms about trying new things that may prove difficult or challenging, so it hurts me to see her in such fear. Unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse from year to year but as Halloween is hardly important in the grand scheme of life we will deal with it. It makes it easier that she still enjoys the rest of the holiday and will get a kick out of watching Asher this year, who seems more then aware that Halloween and fun go hand and hand.
We finished the week off by having my brother and his girlfriend over for dinner last night. Sheila made a great dinner, ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a nice mixed gree salad. My brother and I had a few fierce battles on his xbox, I hadn't tried out his new NHL 13 game and while I lost all 3 games they were all close 2-0, 2-1 in a shootout and 2-1 in overtime. The ladies (mostly Jasmine) spent time decorating cupcakes that Larissa had brought over and everyone enjoyed them. Asher was hilarious, he kept walking up and down the stairs between the men playing video games and the ladies decorating cupcakes. On his way back down he would vocalize loudly as he regularly does. He thinks he is saying words at this point, and it is funny when he carries on for a long time as if we can understand. Asher jumps off the bottom stair and runs over to his uncle and dad to share the candies that he had got from the ladies.
I was also pretty successful in the getting things done department this week. I completed 3 proper workouts, then had a couple other impromptu sessions as well. I raked most of the yard, though I left the piles so Jasmine and I can have a fight or two out there. I even did some cleaning tasks that I never tackle, while I am proud of myself, I was quickly reminded that these are just every day things that people have to do. While I will likely have a lazy day today, I am looking forward to another busy week. Swimming, park visiting, hockey for me on Thursday, a walk or two, and my workout sessions are all on the books.
On Tuesday Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and I went to the theatre to see "Frankenweenie". We thought we would try Asher at this because he has been watching some television lately, and often stays involved for reasonably long periods of time. As it turns out, he isn't quite ready. He sat down as we arrived just as the movie started. He was on his booster seat with his tiny 3d glasses on and actually sat still for about 3 minutes. Then as soon as dad thought about his sitting still, it ended. A bag of popcorn to distract only worked for a while, and in the end mom and Asher had to leave with about 15 minutes left. The movie was very well done by Mr. Tim Burton and Jasmine and I both left satisfied.
Wednesday, I took Asher and Jas to the pool after school, the Aquatic Centre had reopened after being closed a month for maintenance. Asher was in all his glory, jumping and screaming with excitement most of the time we were there. He did spoil Dad though allowing me a few trips to the hot tub where he sat nicely and gave me a chance to relax a bit. Taking the little guy to the pool is a great workout, just trying to keep him safe is extremely intense and thankfully its only him I have to worry about. Jasmine is very good in the water and she had met up with one of her best friends and was off doing his thing. After swimming we drove up the Hart Highway to run an errand, and Jasmine stopped at her friend's house to say hi.
During the day on Thursday I read in the paper about the opening of a new park a Duchess Park and we decided to go and check it out. Jasmine is very enthusiastic about all things park related, and she was screaming with excitement when I surprised her and drove up to the park. I had her convinced we were just running a few errands, so the park was a happy shock. The new playground was designed to be fully accessible for those children in wheelchairs, and by all observations there is little fault to be found in the set up. Asher was having a blast as all of the ramps made for easy maneuvering and easy access to the kiddie slides. He also had a lot of fun on the shifting pirate ship and the sit down merry go round that dad sat on with him. Jasmine really had a good time too, as there was parts of the park that were designed for older kids, a 15 foot high slide, complete with vertical ladder to access it, a spinning wheel that you could hang from and rapidly send yourself into a dizzying whirlwind, as well as a climbing structure made of heavy rope that was shaped like the Eifel Tower. (Jasmine actualy pointed this out, telling me the thing was "like Paris". How she knew this, I don't know.) After a quick trip to Parkwood Mall, we returned home to start dinner.
Friday brings the start of my work week, but it didn't stop me from getting out and having a good time. We had a few tickets to the hockey game, so the guys, myself and a second staff member all went to the Spruce Kings game after dinner. One of the guys comes to a number of games with me and quite enjoys it. The second guy isn't as into sitting still and watching the game but he did very well on Friday. We all enjoyed ourselves, and the game was well played as well. Prince George won 2-1 in a good defensive battle with plenty of solid hits. After seeing a number of good movies at work in recent weeks, I have really been enjoying our weekly Friday night outings. It really helps me forget that I am weekend warrior who rarely gets a weekend to myself.
The hits kept coming as I got up Saturday to a nice egg scramble and bacon breakfast that Sheila had made. I forced myself to get my workout in, and after mom and dad showered we all jumped in the car for a trip to the "Pumpkin Patch". Not having been before, I had checked out the website to find out that for $5 each we could all hang out on the farm and the kids got a free pumpkin as well. With that in mind we arrived to find it quite busy, around ~25 families were out and about. I hadn't even realized that Blackspruce Farms also operates a petting zoo year round, and that was also included for the tiny 5 dollar fee. Armed with a bucket of feed (also included) the kids had a blast visiting with goats, bighorn sheep, potbellied pigs, cows, ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens, bunnies and more. Asher sat briefly and held the baby bunny, he is really curious these days so his attention span is short, but he loved how the bunny was sitting on him. The kids spent some time playing on the playground they have before we went to pick our pumpkin. Being that we live in the frozen north and spring and summer total about 4 months, we can't have a real pumkpin patch in Prince George. Instead, in one of the fields an area was roped off and store bought pumpkins had been spread all around. This was awesome for toddlers as they didn't realize this wasn't a genuine pumkpin patch. Asher was overwhelmed with the quantity of pumpkins in the field. He had a blast bending over at nearly every one and attempting to pick them up. He managed to get one in the air, laughed hysterically and dad had to help or he would have fallen over. He almost lost his mind when he saw the green pumpkin, something was obviously different about it and he knew it. Jasmine also enjoyed running around to find the perfect one for her, and is now attempting to get permission to carve it yesterday or today or tomorrow. The poor girl loves Halloween despite a huge fear of rubber masks and scary decorations. She had a few bad experiences that have left her emotional scarred. It's too bad because she really is a tough cookie most of the time, and Halloween is the only thing I can think of that evokes these kind of emotions. This is a girl who would spend a week at a time away from mom and dad at the age of 3 and not get home sick (she was with Papa and Aunties). Jasmine was jumping off the 5 meter dive platform at age 6 (something I didn't do until age 25). She has no qualms about trying new things that may prove difficult or challenging, so it hurts me to see her in such fear. Unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse from year to year but as Halloween is hardly important in the grand scheme of life we will deal with it. It makes it easier that she still enjoys the rest of the holiday and will get a kick out of watching Asher this year, who seems more then aware that Halloween and fun go hand and hand.
We finished the week off by having my brother and his girlfriend over for dinner last night. Sheila made a great dinner, ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a nice mixed gree salad. My brother and I had a few fierce battles on his xbox, I hadn't tried out his new NHL 13 game and while I lost all 3 games they were all close 2-0, 2-1 in a shootout and 2-1 in overtime. The ladies (mostly Jasmine) spent time decorating cupcakes that Larissa had brought over and everyone enjoyed them. Asher was hilarious, he kept walking up and down the stairs between the men playing video games and the ladies decorating cupcakes. On his way back down he would vocalize loudly as he regularly does. He thinks he is saying words at this point, and it is funny when he carries on for a long time as if we can understand. Asher jumps off the bottom stair and runs over to his uncle and dad to share the candies that he had got from the ladies.
I was also pretty successful in the getting things done department this week. I completed 3 proper workouts, then had a couple other impromptu sessions as well. I raked most of the yard, though I left the piles so Jasmine and I can have a fight or two out there. I even did some cleaning tasks that I never tackle, while I am proud of myself, I was quickly reminded that these are just every day things that people have to do. While I will likely have a lazy day today, I am looking forward to another busy week. Swimming, park visiting, hockey for me on Thursday, a walk or two, and my workout sessions are all on the books.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
A Light Poker Story
As has been established in previous entries in this blog, I play a lot of poker. My poker play provides an additional income for my family as I only work 4 days a week at my "real job". It also is fun for me otherwise I would struggle mightily to continue playing regularly, and a lack of enjoyment would likely effect my ability to make money at the task. Juggling my real job, my family life, and my recently started hockey season means that my poker sessions are restricted to a couple times a week. My opportunities to play come on the slower days of the week in terms of poker action, so I often find myself struggling to make the best of it. This past Sunday afternoon I sat down at the table, the 1 table as Prince George struggles to support the one poker room that we have. As I was filling the one open seat I had no choice but to sit to the right of the loosest guy on the table (okay, him and I were probably tied for 1st). A quick glance around the table and I could see at least 4 guys who are beyond tight another 2 tight aggressive players and 2 unknowns. I proceeded to win one pot early to bring my stack to $300ish then things went awry.
I started playing too many pots, all of them against my loose friend on my left. I was out of position repeatedly, and he kept using his place behind me to dominate. I was down to $120 after one particularly bad play, and I was in a silent steam. A seat opened soon, and though it was only 2 more to the right, it was better then where I was. I moved, and slowly calmed down. I lost a few more, but before long another seat was open, and I was now 4 seats to loose guy's left. By now I had found that the only other loose player was beside the other guy on the left, so I was now in great position on both. When I say the others were rocks, I am not exaggerating. One player saw 1, yes 1 flop in the 5 hours I played. He did not make a pre flop raise at all, and even folded his small blind for 1 dollar on about 7 occasions. Another man did 3 crosswords while he played 4 hands in 4 hours. So, I continued to raise and raise and raise. I managed to trap the second loose guy a few times. He limped everything if he didn't raise so I would toss in $15 and isolate him, or him and his neighbour. Twice, with big aces I flopped an ace and checked. Both times I got action later on when loose man made a hand. I over bet the river in one pot after checking my ace twice, and got him to pay off with second pair. I still hadn't beat my nemesis, but I was back to even at $325ish. That's when I hit it big.
My original loose friend (we are friends, he is a nice guy) and I had been teasing each other back and forth about playing every hand. There is a running joke at the casino that I can't let a late position spot go without a raise. In this pot my friend had straddled and I was on the button (a few players were away from the table). I looked down at a 10 4 of hearts. Going into acting mode, I took a deep breath picked up 4 reds ($20) then stopped. This got a laugh from buddy, and I proceeded to call the $5 announcing that my hand really was awful and I had worked hard to stop myself. No raise and we see the flop of Q74 2 spades. My friend bets $15 into a $30 pot, folds from the rocks and I call on the button telling the table that my hand had "slightly improved, but that's the only hint I'm giving." Of course this story is beyond obvious. The glorious 4 comes on the turn. I call $25. Blank on the river and my friend check calls my $45 before seeing my trips. It felt really good to finally catch a hand against him and even better to win some of the money due to table talk. See, I do reasonably well at the 1/2 NL table but for the most part I rely on reads, instincts and play making. If I am in a pot, especially if I have made a big bet, I go silent. I stare straight down at the community cards, or a spot on the wall. I do this whether I am bluffing, holding the nuts or otherwise. I occasionally break this habit, but I try to be consistent. I haven't master the art of table talk, and am jealous of guys who have the ability to manipulate players with their words. Perhaps that will be my next endeavor in improvement. Until then I can enjoy my little moment and the $200ish profit I squeezed out of the game on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.
I started playing too many pots, all of them against my loose friend on my left. I was out of position repeatedly, and he kept using his place behind me to dominate. I was down to $120 after one particularly bad play, and I was in a silent steam. A seat opened soon, and though it was only 2 more to the right, it was better then where I was. I moved, and slowly calmed down. I lost a few more, but before long another seat was open, and I was now 4 seats to loose guy's left. By now I had found that the only other loose player was beside the other guy on the left, so I was now in great position on both. When I say the others were rocks, I am not exaggerating. One player saw 1, yes 1 flop in the 5 hours I played. He did not make a pre flop raise at all, and even folded his small blind for 1 dollar on about 7 occasions. Another man did 3 crosswords while he played 4 hands in 4 hours. So, I continued to raise and raise and raise. I managed to trap the second loose guy a few times. He limped everything if he didn't raise so I would toss in $15 and isolate him, or him and his neighbour. Twice, with big aces I flopped an ace and checked. Both times I got action later on when loose man made a hand. I over bet the river in one pot after checking my ace twice, and got him to pay off with second pair. I still hadn't beat my nemesis, but I was back to even at $325ish. That's when I hit it big.
My original loose friend (we are friends, he is a nice guy) and I had been teasing each other back and forth about playing every hand. There is a running joke at the casino that I can't let a late position spot go without a raise. In this pot my friend had straddled and I was on the button (a few players were away from the table). I looked down at a 10 4 of hearts. Going into acting mode, I took a deep breath picked up 4 reds ($20) then stopped. This got a laugh from buddy, and I proceeded to call the $5 announcing that my hand really was awful and I had worked hard to stop myself. No raise and we see the flop of Q74 2 spades. My friend bets $15 into a $30 pot, folds from the rocks and I call on the button telling the table that my hand had "slightly improved, but that's the only hint I'm giving." Of course this story is beyond obvious. The glorious 4 comes on the turn. I call $25. Blank on the river and my friend check calls my $45 before seeing my trips. It felt really good to finally catch a hand against him and even better to win some of the money due to table talk. See, I do reasonably well at the 1/2 NL table but for the most part I rely on reads, instincts and play making. If I am in a pot, especially if I have made a big bet, I go silent. I stare straight down at the community cards, or a spot on the wall. I do this whether I am bluffing, holding the nuts or otherwise. I occasionally break this habit, but I try to be consistent. I haven't master the art of table talk, and am jealous of guys who have the ability to manipulate players with their words. Perhaps that will be my next endeavor in improvement. Until then I can enjoy my little moment and the $200ish profit I squeezed out of the game on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.
Monday, 24 September 2012
I'm Busy?
Last night as Sheila and I lay down to sleep she bemoaned the fact that I have had nearly zero content on my blog recently. Aside from a whiny post about missing out on the WSOP Circuit tournament, I haven't made a post since August. After thinking about it, I began to realize why. For the first time in a few years I am truly and completely busy. Minding the kids and working usually keeps me from being bored, but it does seem that for the first time in my recent years I have a full plate on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this means things such as blogging which can't be considered essential, find themselves on the cutting room floor. Now, unlike my last post, this is not me complaining or whining. I am actually quite proud that I managed to take on so many things, while remaining motivated about all of the things I need to do. In response to Sheila asking about this space and it's lack of content, I promised to add it to this week's "shit to do" list. I'd like to run down my busy, and fulfilling week that was to begin.
The third Sunday in September is one that holds significant importance in the Prosk family. My dear pops deserves the credit, but this year's Terry Fox Run was likely the best one I have been a part of. I was scheduled to work Sunday morning as I usually am, but this was not going to stop me from attending. In fact, this allowed me to include my friends from work KK and GF. We made our way downtown to walk, meeting up with Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and my dad and sister who had come up from Quesnel to join us. As we started, I was already bursting with pride. Jasmine is already very aware of how important Terry Fox is, and just how amazing his efforts were in increasing cancer awareness. She and I had gone around our block the week before and she recieved a number of donations which she happily handed over to the organizers of the event before we got started. Both of the men I support at work overcame considerable challenges and walked further then they are used to last Sunday morning. My dad and Sheila both assisted us in achieving this, and I can't thank them enough for their help. Both men made me so very proud, and later in the day and throughout this last week I have thought back to Sunday, on a few occasions getting quite emotional. Sunday concluded with most of my family heading to my brother's girlfriend's grandparents house to celebrate my brother's 24th birthday. It was an interesting gathering. None of us had met Larissa's grandparents, but as it turns out the are extremely nice people and a good time was had by all. We haven't had many chances to see Ian since he moved out, so it was nice to be able to celebrate his big day with him. Larissa's sister has a little guy, so Asher and little Travis provided most of the entertainment as they goofed around to the delight of the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that were present.
Monday night I coached Jasmine's soccer team in their second to last game of the season. Up against the top team (they probably haven't lost a game), we were looking to avenge one of the only losses we have had this season. We started with one of our strongest players taking her first ever turn in net. She made numerous saves, and we scored on our only shot making it to halftime tied at 1. At halftime we switched and put our best keepah in the net, the smallest girl on the team who has gained confidence throughout the season and become very dependable in the net. Playing a very aggressive style she storms out at the opponents, using the entire goal box, not allowing the opponents to get close enough to shoot. She often throws herself at the ball, and at this level this gets the opponents to either slow down or back off completely allowing her to take the ball and move it the other way. On this night, her style wasn't working that well. The other team was skilled in passing around her and often they found themselves alone with an open net. Luckily one of the girls has a knack for playing defense. She swept the ball off the line at least 5 or 6 times, from the sideline I was chalking up a goal for the team on many of these occasions. Our team has relied on working together throughout the season, and we often had a different star in each game. On Monday, our best player took it upon herself to create a few chances, as the other team was so good that we really couldn't create much. As our "striker" she stormed up the field, past a couple of defenders with deft moves and as the goalie was charging, she flicked a shot up and over top from about 20 yards out. It dipped in under the bar for the second goal and a 2-1 lead. The game ended in a 3-3 tie after a few more very close calls. I was very excited about the way the girls played, all 9 of them were breathing heavily, looking exhausted at game end. I like to come out on the field and give every player a high 5 as the game ends, making sure they know I appreciate the effort. Shake hands and I had to run off the field to drive to my hockey game that started in 45 minutes.
After a relatively quiet Tuesday, Wednesday was also pretty quiet as Jasmine came home from school with s stomach ache. It ended up being quite minor and she was fine by the evening. Wednesday was poker night, and boy was it ever. I played really well, hit cards when needed, and managed to get a very good player to inflate a few pots against me when I was holding the goods. As he was speaking about his need to get me back, he raised in early position and it came to me on the button. I look down at aces and one thing led to another, an ace on the flop helped me relax and soon enough the dealer was pushing a 700 dollar pot my way. I left around 10 with a 775 dollar profit for the night.
Thursday Asher and I picked up Jasmine from school and we went swimming as we usually do once a week. Ran a few errands on the way home, and as the week wound down, there was indeed some time to breathe. In between being busy with soccer wrapping up (we finished up Saturday morning) and my hockey starting I found time to complete my assignments for the college course I am taking. I completed all 4 of my weight lifting sessions, and took Asher for a jog. Saturday I did a quick bike ride to wrap up my workouts for the week.
As I look at the week ahead, I will once again be quite busy. Jasmine's soccer is over, and her basketball's doesn't start until November so I will be on a break from coaching. I have hockey twice this week, tonight and then again on Wednesday. I plan to get my 4 weightlifting session in, and hopefuly a bike ride or two as the weather permits. Wednesday afternoon the kids and I will go to the pool, and hopefully this is the week that Asher and I make it to powerplay Wednesday morning, essentially open gym time for toddlers. I think he will love it, so we need to check it out. Poker will likely only happen once this week, Thursday as every other day either Sheila or I or both of us will be busy. While I am not busy getting my heartrate going I will need to complete this week's assignments for college. I also have a few things to take care of around the house, little things I have been meaning to tackle for a while now. After a great week at the poker table this week, it makes sense to spend a few bucks on home improvements.
As this gets long winded I will sign off, I need to get started on all the things I want to tackle this week.
The third Sunday in September is one that holds significant importance in the Prosk family. My dear pops deserves the credit, but this year's Terry Fox Run was likely the best one I have been a part of. I was scheduled to work Sunday morning as I usually am, but this was not going to stop me from attending. In fact, this allowed me to include my friends from work KK and GF. We made our way downtown to walk, meeting up with Sheila, Jasmine, Asher and my dad and sister who had come up from Quesnel to join us. As we started, I was already bursting with pride. Jasmine is already very aware of how important Terry Fox is, and just how amazing his efforts were in increasing cancer awareness. She and I had gone around our block the week before and she recieved a number of donations which she happily handed over to the organizers of the event before we got started. Both of the men I support at work overcame considerable challenges and walked further then they are used to last Sunday morning. My dad and Sheila both assisted us in achieving this, and I can't thank them enough for their help. Both men made me so very proud, and later in the day and throughout this last week I have thought back to Sunday, on a few occasions getting quite emotional. Sunday concluded with most of my family heading to my brother's girlfriend's grandparents house to celebrate my brother's 24th birthday. It was an interesting gathering. None of us had met Larissa's grandparents, but as it turns out the are extremely nice people and a good time was had by all. We haven't had many chances to see Ian since he moved out, so it was nice to be able to celebrate his big day with him. Larissa's sister has a little guy, so Asher and little Travis provided most of the entertainment as they goofed around to the delight of the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that were present.
Monday night I coached Jasmine's soccer team in their second to last game of the season. Up against the top team (they probably haven't lost a game), we were looking to avenge one of the only losses we have had this season. We started with one of our strongest players taking her first ever turn in net. She made numerous saves, and we scored on our only shot making it to halftime tied at 1. At halftime we switched and put our best keepah in the net, the smallest girl on the team who has gained confidence throughout the season and become very dependable in the net. Playing a very aggressive style she storms out at the opponents, using the entire goal box, not allowing the opponents to get close enough to shoot. She often throws herself at the ball, and at this level this gets the opponents to either slow down or back off completely allowing her to take the ball and move it the other way. On this night, her style wasn't working that well. The other team was skilled in passing around her and often they found themselves alone with an open net. Luckily one of the girls has a knack for playing defense. She swept the ball off the line at least 5 or 6 times, from the sideline I was chalking up a goal for the team on many of these occasions. Our team has relied on working together throughout the season, and we often had a different star in each game. On Monday, our best player took it upon herself to create a few chances, as the other team was so good that we really couldn't create much. As our "striker" she stormed up the field, past a couple of defenders with deft moves and as the goalie was charging, she flicked a shot up and over top from about 20 yards out. It dipped in under the bar for the second goal and a 2-1 lead. The game ended in a 3-3 tie after a few more very close calls. I was very excited about the way the girls played, all 9 of them were breathing heavily, looking exhausted at game end. I like to come out on the field and give every player a high 5 as the game ends, making sure they know I appreciate the effort. Shake hands and I had to run off the field to drive to my hockey game that started in 45 minutes.
After a relatively quiet Tuesday, Wednesday was also pretty quiet as Jasmine came home from school with s stomach ache. It ended up being quite minor and she was fine by the evening. Wednesday was poker night, and boy was it ever. I played really well, hit cards when needed, and managed to get a very good player to inflate a few pots against me when I was holding the goods. As he was speaking about his need to get me back, he raised in early position and it came to me on the button. I look down at aces and one thing led to another, an ace on the flop helped me relax and soon enough the dealer was pushing a 700 dollar pot my way. I left around 10 with a 775 dollar profit for the night.
Thursday Asher and I picked up Jasmine from school and we went swimming as we usually do once a week. Ran a few errands on the way home, and as the week wound down, there was indeed some time to breathe. In between being busy with soccer wrapping up (we finished up Saturday morning) and my hockey starting I found time to complete my assignments for the college course I am taking. I completed all 4 of my weight lifting sessions, and took Asher for a jog. Saturday I did a quick bike ride to wrap up my workouts for the week.
As I look at the week ahead, I will once again be quite busy. Jasmine's soccer is over, and her basketball's doesn't start until November so I will be on a break from coaching. I have hockey twice this week, tonight and then again on Wednesday. I plan to get my 4 weightlifting session in, and hopefuly a bike ride or two as the weather permits. Wednesday afternoon the kids and I will go to the pool, and hopefully this is the week that Asher and I make it to powerplay Wednesday morning, essentially open gym time for toddlers. I think he will love it, so we need to check it out. Poker will likely only happen once this week, Thursday as every other day either Sheila or I or both of us will be busy. While I am not busy getting my heartrate going I will need to complete this week's assignments for college. I also have a few things to take care of around the house, little things I have been meaning to tackle for a while now. After a great week at the poker table this week, it makes sense to spend a few bucks on home improvements.
As this gets long winded I will sign off, I need to get started on all the things I want to tackle this week.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Life Gets In The Way
Well, for the last couple of weeks I have been struggling with my ability to make smart choices with my life. While nothing is ever perfect, it does seem that the responsible option isn't always the most fun. Recently registration opened up for the WSOP Circuit event in Vancouver. Now, Vancouver has hosted tournaments in the past, but never before has the WSOP been involved and never before have the tournaments actually been affordable for me. Obviously the term "affordable" is relative. On October 27th they are having a NL holdem tourney with a $365 buy in, and on the 28th the buy in is $580. To anyone who doesn't play cards they would likely never consider spending that kind of money of a game of fun and chance. To those that do play, including myself, the buy in is the investment you have to make in order to have the chance at a big score. First prize in either of these tournaments isn't going to be life changing, but ~$30,000 or maybe ~$50,000 for the bigger event would be awfully nice. I have a really solid live cash game playing style, but my tournament game is largely untested in a live game setting. The other thing telling me to go play is that I can ultimately finance the whole trip with earnings from previous poker games. If I was still young, dumb, single and only responsible for myself I would be there no questions asked. At the same time, I'm not sure that I would be in the place I am at now in terms of occupation and poker game if not for my family. I think that the presence of my family around me has provided me with motivation to play my best poker game more often, and to stick with an occupation long enough to reap the rewards of paid vacation time. Ultimately, my decision has come down to timing, and realizing that the 8 hour drive is not something I want to do twice, if there are only a couple of days of poker playing in between. We could work it out so that I could go down from say Friday until Monday or maybe even Tuesday, but in the end I feel like it isn't really worth it. Rushing down and rushing back are not exciting propositions in my book. While somewhat disappointed, I have to make the adult decision to take a pass this time.
Friday, 31 August 2012
Lover of Lists
As those close to me know, I have become obsessive about list making. Originally, I thought that creating lists to remind me of chores, tasks and events that I needed to take care of in the coming week would be a good idea. I use the current list as a bookmark in whatever book I am in the middle of, this way I rarely go a day without actually seeing the list. Looking at the list provides me with a reminder that I am either: a) having a productive week, getting shit done, etc. or b) being lazy and unproductive and it is high time I get my butt in gear. The lists have now evolved to include a number of different sections and are almost becoming an art form to themselves. It's actually quite fun for me to think of all the things to put on the list, be it things that need doing urgently, tasks I have thought of occasionally but never got around to, or even fun things I want to do with the kids but might not think about again until the chance and time has passed me by. If my list making has got me out on more bike rides with Jasmine, or resulted in extra trips to parks, the library or the pool, then I would have to consider the endeavour to be meaningful. I know that I am a chronic procrastinator, so it feels good to see a list of tasks in black and white and be able to tick off a number of the items as completed come the end of the week. I recommend this technique to all other procrastinators out there. In honour of my admitting to said obsession I thought I would have some fun with lists. At first I thought I would make top 10 lists, but I won't restrict myself in such a way. Some lists with have more then 10, some will have less. I will order them from best to worst at times, other times there will be no such ranking. Enjoy.
Favourite Athletes (Current)
1. Taylor Hall
2. Andrew McCutchen
3. Jordan Eberle
4. Jose Bautista
5. Lionel Messi
6. Milos Raonic
7. Kevin Durant
Favourite Nutritional Products
1. BCAAs
2. Clif Bars
3. Whey Protein Powder
4. Green Tea Capsules
5. Glucosamine Sulfate
Favourite TV Shows
1. Louie
2. The Cleveland Show
3. Storage Wars
4. Modern Family
5. The Big Bang Theory
6. Mike and Molly
7. The Office
8. Parks and Recreation
9. Breaking Bad
Favourite Actors
1. Paul Giamatti
2. Christian Bale
3. Tom Hardy
4. Jesse Eisenberg
5. Philip Seymour Hoffman
6. Robert DeNiro
7. John Goodman
8. Anthony Anderson
9. Liam Neeson
10. Jeremy Renner
Favourite Directors
1. The Coen Brothers
2. Ben Affleck
3. Judd Apatow
4. Clint Eastwood
5. Quentin Tarantino
6. Tim Burton
7. Spike Lee
Favourite Rappers That You Might Not Know
Asher Roth
Astronautalis
Bun B
Chiddy Bang
Chris Webby
The Cool Kids
Curren$y
Dizzee Rascal
Glasses Malone
Hilltop Hoods
Swizz
Hopsin
Maino
M.I.A.
Lupe Fiasco
Machine Gun Kelly
Mac Miller
Mike Jones
Paul Wall
Rizzle Kicks
Slum Village
Gorilla Zoe
Gucci Mane
Talib Kweli
Chipmunk
Tinchy Stryder
Tinie Tempah
Wale
Wiz Khalifia
Yelawolf
Young Jeezy
Favourite Comedians
1. Gabriel Iglesias
2. Louis CK
3. Aziz Azari
4. W. Kamau Bell
5. Vidur Kapur
6. Donald Glover
7. Lavell Crawford
8. Dave Chapelle
Favourite Sports To Play
1. Hockey
2. Soccer
3. Basketball
4. Tennis
5. Golf
Favourite Sports To Watch
1. Soccer
2. Hockey
3. Baseball
4. Basketball
5. MMA
6. Football
7. Tennis
8. Golf
Favourite Authors
1. Truman Capote
2. Jon Krakauer
3. John Steinbeck
4. Ralph Ellison
5. Ursula Hegi
Favourite Poker Games
1. No Limit Hold em
2. 5 Card Draw
3. Badugi
4. Omaha 8 or Better
5. Stud Hi
6. Razz
7. 2-7 Triple Draw
Favourite Exercise Activities
1. Lifting Weights
2. Biking
3. Running
4. Swimming
5. Walking
Favourite Folk Singers
1. Tegan and Sara
2. Jeff Bridges
3. Tom Russell
4. Jack Johnson
For now, 'tis all.
Favourite Athletes (Current)
1. Taylor Hall
2. Andrew McCutchen
3. Jordan Eberle
4. Jose Bautista
5. Lionel Messi
6. Milos Raonic
7. Kevin Durant
Favourite Nutritional Products
1. BCAAs
2. Clif Bars
3. Whey Protein Powder
4. Green Tea Capsules
5. Glucosamine Sulfate
Favourite TV Shows
1. Louie
2. The Cleveland Show
3. Storage Wars
4. Modern Family
5. The Big Bang Theory
6. Mike and Molly
7. The Office
8. Parks and Recreation
9. Breaking Bad
Favourite Actors
1. Paul Giamatti
2. Christian Bale
3. Tom Hardy
4. Jesse Eisenberg
5. Philip Seymour Hoffman
6. Robert DeNiro
7. John Goodman
8. Anthony Anderson
9. Liam Neeson
10. Jeremy Renner
Favourite Directors
1. The Coen Brothers
2. Ben Affleck
3. Judd Apatow
4. Clint Eastwood
5. Quentin Tarantino
6. Tim Burton
7. Spike Lee
Favourite Rappers That You Might Not Know
Asher Roth
Astronautalis
Bun B
Chiddy Bang
Chris Webby
The Cool Kids
Curren$y
Dizzee Rascal
Glasses Malone
Hilltop Hoods
Swizz
Hopsin
Maino
M.I.A.
Lupe Fiasco
Machine Gun Kelly
Mac Miller
Mike Jones
Paul Wall
Rizzle Kicks
Slum Village
Gorilla Zoe
Gucci Mane
Talib Kweli
Chipmunk
Tinchy Stryder
Tinie Tempah
Wale
Wiz Khalifia
Yelawolf
Young Jeezy
Favourite Comedians
1. Gabriel Iglesias
2. Louis CK
3. Aziz Azari
4. W. Kamau Bell
5. Vidur Kapur
6. Donald Glover
7. Lavell Crawford
8. Dave Chapelle
Favourite Sports To Play
1. Hockey
2. Soccer
3. Basketball
4. Tennis
5. Golf
Favourite Sports To Watch
1. Soccer
2. Hockey
3. Baseball
4. Basketball
5. MMA
6. Football
7. Tennis
8. Golf
Favourite Authors
1. Truman Capote
2. Jon Krakauer
3. John Steinbeck
4. Ralph Ellison
5. Ursula Hegi
Favourite Poker Games
1. No Limit Hold em
2. 5 Card Draw
3. Badugi
4. Omaha 8 or Better
5. Stud Hi
6. Razz
7. 2-7 Triple Draw
Favourite Exercise Activities
1. Lifting Weights
2. Biking
3. Running
4. Swimming
5. Walking
Favourite Folk Singers
1. Tegan and Sara
2. Jeff Bridges
3. Tom Russell
4. Jack Johnson
For now, 'tis all.
Monday, 27 August 2012
Thoughts on Pot
Lately, I have taken to posting semi-regularly comments on my local newspaper's website www.princegeorgecitizen.com. The paper itself is neither here nor there in terms of quality, but their website provides one of the only existing forums where one can express themselves in regards to local issues. Often, the commenting area becomes a "left vs right" debate and I am not one to shy away from such a practice. Earlier today, while reading commentary on an article titled "Grow-op leads to house arrest", I came across an anti-marijuana diatribe that was rife with inaccuracies and fear-mongering. Feeling compelled to reply I composed a lengthy response that I would like to cross post here. To be fair I will post the article link complete with the comments I responded to from user: "h0nneybadgr".
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/20120823/PRINCEGEORGE0101/308239978/-1/princegeorge0101/grow-op-leads-to-house-arrest
I appreciate the time and effort you put into your post, although it feels that you copy and pasted it's contents from an essay you wrote years ago. You provided us with 9 paragraphs and 1 source from 2002, so I will take this as an opinion piece and as such will respond in kind.
Your first paragraph belongs in a stand up comedy routine, not in a debate about marijuana legalization. Illegal organizations make their money in illegal ways, hence the reason they are called "illegal". The production of marijuana is a very profitable endeavour for these groups for a number of reasons. The profit margins are artificially high due to the illegality of the product. Of course, illegal means fear in some of the public, which makes the product more difficult to obtain. At the same time, penalties when caught are still reasonably low, so the risk is not high when weighed against the profitability. With the new laws the Conservatives have established, there is little difference in jail time between a high volume producer and a small time user of marijuana, so it makes sense for the criminal organizations to find a place at the top of the food chain so to speak. If marijuana use and production was legal, these organizations either wouldn't bother being involved or would be just one of many groups growing to distribute. When legalized, the price of a product comes down, this is basic economics. Demand will not increase, as there are very few people who would like use marijuana but don't due to it's legal status. It would be nice for all users if they had access to the product in a safe friendly environment where they didn't have to interact with criminal organizations. Take out the illegal aspect, and the marijuana industry is just that, an industry, and a very large one at that bringing in $4 billion dollars in revenue annually. The price would likely be reduced if legalized, but take a minute to imagine the tax revenue that would be created. (Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com...
Next, you delve in to the classic idea that all drug users steal to get their next "fix". Those that simply use marijuana and not anything harder will likely not need to steal for their habit as the cost is relatively low. A heavy marijuana user may spend $400 a month, the approximate cost of 2 ounces in today's market. Notice, that this cost is similar to the amount spent by a pack a day cigarette smoker. Why are we not accusing cigarette smokers of stealing for their "fix"? Drinking, even casually can easily cost someone $100 a weekend or $400 in a month. Again, are we to assume that they are also stealing for their "fix"? Those who are stealing for their "fix" are likely dealing with much bigger issues then marijuana use, and to argue that their problems were brought on by marijuana is laughable.
You seem to fear an increase in people being "high on the job" if marijuana were indeed legalized. Explain to me why this concern would be any different if the legal status of the substance changed. Legalizing marijuana use would not impact the current laws in place in regards to "driving under the influence". There are numerous people in professional situations who use marijuana, and many others who chose to abstain while working and partake only in their own private time. To that end, there has been little, if any scientific proof that marijuana use makes one a dangerous driver. (Source: http://norml.org/library/item/...
This just keeps getting better. You really go for the gold medal with your paragraph about "marijuana induced psychosis". No sources or references in sight, one can only assume you pulled this one out of a Ronald Regan era fear mongering ad, or you just made it up off the top of your head. This line has to be considered the true gem of your entire diatribe: "The cost of policing (not the drug but the behavioural impacts), the cost of care, the loss in productivity, and the socio-dynamic impact on people’s lives and the lives of their family is astronomical." You are claiming a link between criminal activity and marijuana use. Has their been instances where criminal acts occurred solely because the perpetrator was high on marijuana? In a state of "marijuana induced psychosis" I suppose this is possible. What to make of the studies that show marijuana having positive effects on brain function among schizophrenia? One study even found that "Patients with a history of cannabis use were found to have superior neuropsychological functioning." (Source: http://www.opposingviews.com/i...
At this point I will rest my case. I am not out to sway the opinion of people like yourself as I doubt I would have any success. I find it insulting when numerous inaccuracies are put out in the public domain with so few sources to back them up. Your opinion is just that, your opinion. I appreciate that you were able to brace yourself for "hateful messages from those who either failed to read the whole thing, or are completely indoctrinated and unable to see both sides of the argument." I hope I didn't come across as hateful as that was not my intention. It was your piece and a few others that inspired me to respond. The characterization of all marijuana users as lazy, uninspired, underemployed members of society left me annoyed and inspired to counter your arguments. If you would like further assistance in getting over your stereotypical beliefs on marijuana users I can introduce you to numerous people who are at the same time professional, hard-working, well educated, friendly, and supportive of friends and family both financially and emotionally. You may think you don't know anyone who fits the above description, but there are likely people in your life that are exactly that: functioning, contributing members of society who's life doesn't come to a grinding halt just because they use marijuana for one of many different reasons.
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/20120823/PRINCEGEORGE0101/308239978/-1/princegeorge0101/grow-op-leads-to-house-arrest
I appreciate the time and effort you put into your post, although it feels that you copy and pasted it's contents from an essay you wrote years ago. You provided us with 9 paragraphs and 1 source from 2002, so I will take this as an opinion piece and as such will respond in kind.
Your first paragraph belongs in a stand up comedy routine, not in a debate about marijuana legalization. Illegal organizations make their money in illegal ways, hence the reason they are called "illegal". The production of marijuana is a very profitable endeavour for these groups for a number of reasons. The profit margins are artificially high due to the illegality of the product. Of course, illegal means fear in some of the public, which makes the product more difficult to obtain. At the same time, penalties when caught are still reasonably low, so the risk is not high when weighed against the profitability. With the new laws the Conservatives have established, there is little difference in jail time between a high volume producer and a small time user of marijuana, so it makes sense for the criminal organizations to find a place at the top of the food chain so to speak. If marijuana use and production was legal, these organizations either wouldn't bother being involved or would be just one of many groups growing to distribute. When legalized, the price of a product comes down, this is basic economics. Demand will not increase, as there are very few people who would like use marijuana but don't due to it's legal status. It would be nice for all users if they had access to the product in a safe friendly environment where they didn't have to interact with criminal organizations. Take out the illegal aspect, and the marijuana industry is just that, an industry, and a very large one at that bringing in $4 billion dollars in revenue annually. The price would likely be reduced if legalized, but take a minute to imagine the tax revenue that would be created. (Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com...
Next, you delve in to the classic idea that all drug users steal to get their next "fix". Those that simply use marijuana and not anything harder will likely not need to steal for their habit as the cost is relatively low. A heavy marijuana user may spend $400 a month, the approximate cost of 2 ounces in today's market. Notice, that this cost is similar to the amount spent by a pack a day cigarette smoker. Why are we not accusing cigarette smokers of stealing for their "fix"? Drinking, even casually can easily cost someone $100 a weekend or $400 in a month. Again, are we to assume that they are also stealing for their "fix"? Those who are stealing for their "fix" are likely dealing with much bigger issues then marijuana use, and to argue that their problems were brought on by marijuana is laughable.
You seem to fear an increase in people being "high on the job" if marijuana were indeed legalized. Explain to me why this concern would be any different if the legal status of the substance changed. Legalizing marijuana use would not impact the current laws in place in regards to "driving under the influence". There are numerous people in professional situations who use marijuana, and many others who chose to abstain while working and partake only in their own private time. To that end, there has been little, if any scientific proof that marijuana use makes one a dangerous driver. (Source: http://norml.org/library/item/...
This just keeps getting better. You really go for the gold medal with your paragraph about "marijuana induced psychosis". No sources or references in sight, one can only assume you pulled this one out of a Ronald Regan era fear mongering ad, or you just made it up off the top of your head. This line has to be considered the true gem of your entire diatribe: "The cost of policing (not the drug but the behavioural impacts), the cost of care, the loss in productivity, and the socio-dynamic impact on people’s lives and the lives of their family is astronomical." You are claiming a link between criminal activity and marijuana use. Has their been instances where criminal acts occurred solely because the perpetrator was high on marijuana? In a state of "marijuana induced psychosis" I suppose this is possible. What to make of the studies that show marijuana having positive effects on brain function among schizophrenia? One study even found that "Patients with a history of cannabis use were found to have superior neuropsychological functioning." (Source: http://www.opposingviews.com/i...
At this point I will rest my case. I am not out to sway the opinion of people like yourself as I doubt I would have any success. I find it insulting when numerous inaccuracies are put out in the public domain with so few sources to back them up. Your opinion is just that, your opinion. I appreciate that you were able to brace yourself for "hateful messages from those who either failed to read the whole thing, or are completely indoctrinated and unable to see both sides of the argument." I hope I didn't come across as hateful as that was not my intention. It was your piece and a few others that inspired me to respond. The characterization of all marijuana users as lazy, uninspired, underemployed members of society left me annoyed and inspired to counter your arguments. If you would like further assistance in getting over your stereotypical beliefs on marijuana users I can introduce you to numerous people who are at the same time professional, hard-working, well educated, friendly, and supportive of friends and family both financially and emotionally. You may think you don't know anyone who fits the above description, but there are likely people in your life that are exactly that: functioning, contributing members of society who's life doesn't come to a grinding halt just because they use marijuana for one of many different reasons.
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