Blessings

  A week has passed since my last entry and it's not because I was too busy to write. Rather it was everything I wanted to talk about I felt I couldn't, or shouldn't, share with all of you. Not necessarily my story to tell. 

  Life isn't always sunshine and unicorns. We must live through sad times in order to appreciate the happy ones....or so I've read. I'm not sure I believe that. But I will say my outlook on happiness changed when my Dad died. So maybe I do believe it a little. 

  Trying to write positive things when dealing with devastating news is hard. Whether it's in your own life, a family member's, or in the world around us. It's hard to be upbeat when you see how unfair and cruel the world can really be.

  Take a moment today to count your blessings. No matter how small. A seat on the bus, a child who eats all their vegetables at dinner or a five dollar bill found at the bottom of your coat pocket. Realize life could be much worse.

  And that for some it already is.

  Ang

  

  

Our Carnival Cruise

 Over the school break last week we surprised the kids with a vacation. A seven-day cruise on the Carnival Pride. We love cruising. It's the perfect way for all four of us to do what we like on vacation. Together but apart. 

  Kids Clubs are always a big deal for us. This ship was no exception. Riley loves to hang out there but this time he tired of it....for no apparent reason. The first three or four days though he really enjoyed it and came out happy and tired. Unlike Norwegian Cruiseline's club, which closes for mealtimes, the staff would take the kids to the buffet for dinner. They ate together in a cordoned off area and had a special buffet line with their food that was not accessible to others. Safety first.

  Alex was in the 11-13 age group....I love how they separate them in small age groups as do the other two cruiselines we've traveled with. And boy did we get our monies worth this time! The hours were staggered...early afternoon then opens again at 8:30 til 1:00-1:30.Video games, sports and movies were on the agenda most days. The counselor was easy going and while the kids were free to come and go without permission, he kept them engaged and they wanted to hang out with him. 

  This ship was smaller than others we've sailed on but still very pretty and interesting to walk around and admire. The glass elevators allowed you to people watch and see some of the artwork on your way to your room or the pool. There is a small art gallery and some shops. The candy store, Cherry On Top, is a must visit. Riley bought the company blanket that is another level of soft! 

  The bars are everywhere and most had live music daily. Vibe Nation played by the pool daily and were definitely the best band on board. They could, and did, take any song and give it an island vibe. The bar beside the pool, made margaritas by the pitcher that were very enjoyable. Even more so when enjoyed on a sofa in the adults only area, watching the island coastline.

  While the weather wasn't what we had hoped for, the ship was equipped with a retractable roof over the pool area which extended the warmth on the return journey. That gave us an extra day of pool time which was greatly appreciated. 

  The Blue Iguana made awesome burritos and tacos. Guy's Burgers is there too with limited hours and long lines but worth the wait. I thought Alex would try the burger made out of bacon but he passed. With only one sit down restaurant included in the cruise fare, evening meals are fairly boring. The food is very good and the menu changes nightly but it's the same restaurant. 

  Our stateroom was clean and larger than on newer ships. Dated but that's to be expected. Lots of closet space though and, I would bet, a brand new mattress that was very much appreciated. Our attendant was Wayman who showed up twice a day with fresh towels and a smile on his face. Amazingly, from day one he called us by name and anticipated our every need. They work harder than anyone for you.

  I have only two complaints about the entire week. Excluding the weather of course....no one has control over that. The first is the teeny tiny non-smoking area of the casino. After a very short period of time, I came out of there reeking of smoke and in need of a shower. I did win $500 so I didn't mind the smoke that much ;)

  My second complaint is the debarkation. This is not only an issue for Carnival but also for both Norwegian and Disney. But having to carry your bags down a flight of stairs is unacceptable. This is, of course, only if you are trying to get off early. But the staff handled it badly and if someone complained they were brought to the elevators and brought to the lower level. Leaving the rest of us angry, frustrated and standing in a very long, unmoving line. Those who complained and made a scene were compensated. That is the easiest way to leave a bad taste in passengers mouths.

  Overall we would give it an 8 out of 10! That's not bad.

  Ang

Coffee Please

  Reality sucks! There I said it. The alarm going off at 6:15. Yelling constantly up the stairs trying to get Alex moving. Making lunches that I am unprepared for. More yelling...this time about teeth. Wrap this all up in a bow, without coffee and you've got one hell of a morning!

  This is the vacation hangover I experience every time. My kids are not really morning people but that is to be expected with me as their mother. But the first few days are definitely the biggest challenge. For all of us. 

  Yesterday Alex was home sick...payment for a week of unhealthy food and beverages. That means today is groceries, paying bills and laundry. Finding a place for all the things we bought too which happily wasn't much. A challenge none the less though.

  Time to get moving. Coffee won't buy itself.

  Ang

Jackie

  While we were gone a few things happened I feel the need to talk about. One is very sad.

  A very old friend of John's was killed in a hit and run. They had known each other since basic training in the airforce some 35 years ago. Jackie was a larger than life kind of guy. Fun. He was a husband, father, friend and soldier. He had retired a few months ago and they, Jackie and his wife Lorna, had moved back to their hometown to enjoy their retirement and get back to their roots. That makes it even sadder somehow.

  As I mentioned Jackie was in the airforce. He saw and did a lot in his career. Things that people are not supposed to see and do. That left him scarred and wounded. And like almost every military person....suffering from PTSD. The news focused on that fact which made me quite angry. He was wounded yes but that is not what killed him. Someone hit him with their car and drove on. That is what took his life.

   I hope the police catch the driver of the car that hit him. I hope when they do, that helps bring some closure for his family. I'm not sure how it can but I hope.

  But mostly I hope that Jackie is at peace. And his family finds a way to have some too.

  Ang

 

I'm Baaaacccck

 Hey! It's been awhile. I was busy getting ready for a surprise vacation, more on that later, and trying to get the house in order again after the mud filled basement fixing. I missed writing more than I thought was possible. And I'm positive John was tired of my ranting over the past two weeks!

  Let's start with the basement.....it's an on-going saga like Star Wars or Coronation Street. A few years ago after a nasty flood we did some outside work to fix the problem. It did...almost. Now we are fixing from the inside. And after the thaw of two weeks ago we can say with 99.9% certainty it is fixed!

  Now the real work begins. Gravel. Concrete. Wiring fixed. Drywall. Flooring. Lights. Paint. I could go on and on but you get the picture. Lots to do. But John has a plan. Or I hope he does. Right now I just want it done. So I can throw the video games, consoles, movies, and assorted virtual reality crap done there out of sight. Not to mention the kids.

  It will take several months, and a lot of cash, to finish but there is now light at the end of this tunnel. In the not so distant future we will hear the laughter of children, the rumbling of movies and the fighting of brothers. Sigh...I can't wait.

  So we surprised the boys with a March break vacation. Boy were they surprised. Alex wasn't disappointed but I wouldn't call him excited either. He had it in his head that he was trading in his old video game systems for a new Nintendo Switch and spending the week playing it. He clearly had a problem hiding his disppointment.

  Riley was ecstatic. He is our social butterfly. But this time the roles reversed. Alex made lots of friends and was gone all the time. He had his first real taste of independance...with a few rules that were non-negotiable. He did fight against the texting every hour rule but quickly realized that was his road to freedom.

  John and I had a chance to hang out in the adults only area with a pitcher of margharitas. Once or twice. It was nice not having to worry whether the kids were enjoying themselves. We get so little of that. They are both double digits now so those stolen moments will be more and more frequent. 

  All in all it was a great week even though the weather wasn't the best. Can't control the weather. I am happy we went. It was nice to relax and rest. But reality has set back in quickly. It's time to get back to work, school and real life.

  Ugh it's gonna be a rough week. Welcome home.

  Ang

Lefties Unite

  I'm a leftie living in a right handed world. If you aren't left handed you don't see it. But it's everywhere. Door handles, scissors, knives, even some paper are backwards. No one ever thinks about it. At least none of you righties.

  When John was designing our kitchen he would look at me strangely over some of my suggestions. Like which way the fridge should open or what side of the room the drawers should be. I was thinking what would make my life easiest since I am the chief cook and bottle washer. To him, they didn't make sense. 

  I did win though in the laundry room. I laughingly say, although it's very much the truth, a CSI team could go in there and only find my fingerprints. Both the washer and dryer open "the wrong way". I wish the faucet handle was on the left but you can't have everything. 

  Learning to drive a standard was a challenge. I always wanted a car with the steering wheel on the right. Imagine how easy it would be to change gears if I was using my dominant hand. When we go to Europe I'm going to do all the driving. I take that back...I'll let John see just how hard it is to do things wrong handed. 

  For all lefties, and yes at this moment I'm speaking for all of them, scissors are the worst. Not only is the sharp side wrong but so are the finger holes of some. I end up putting my thumb in the tiny hole and it gets stuck. Or I end up using them the "right" way and whatever I'm cutting looks like a toddler cut it.

  At the movies, I put my drink down in the left holder. Whoever sits beside me is not impressed. Including my own family. But I feel most comfortable lifting the glass with my left hand. Find another seat.

  This is all small stuff I know. Very small. And 99.9% of the time it doesn't bother me. Today I'm in that that 0.1 %.

  Ang

Finished

  Bryan Baumler, Scott McGilvary and all of those "DIY" experts lie. Through the power of editing, they give a false impression of what home renovations are really like. As much as I hate to admit it I am an expert on living through home renos.  And trust me it looks absolutely nothing like it does on tv.

  To start with it's dirty. No matter what the reno there is dirt involved. Be it drywall dust, mud, boards or paint. And don't kid yourself, it isn't contained to just the "work area". Nope, it is everywhere. In every nook and cranny. Move something six months later and you will find said dust underneath and/or behind it. I know I know the work sites are always so clean on the improvement shows. You know there is some guy who's only job is to clean up behind the actual workers.

  Nothing ever goes as planned. Ever. There is always a glitch. A pipe is in the wrong place. A countertop doesn't arrive. Contractors don't show. It's a daily challenge to make progress. Any progress. And all of this comes with a huge price tag. Oh and don't get me started on the make believe time lines.

  Now imagine you and your spouse are the contractors. We are the plumbers, electricians and carpenters. All cleanup, prep work and finishing touches are done by us. After the day's work is done we still have to clean up the mess we made so we can start again the next morning. That is IF we actually start back in the morning. Chances are it's a late morning start or maybe even an early afternoon. The beauty, or curse, of being the boss I suppose.

  I know I'm complaining. But this has been our life for the past 20 years or so. I just want a finished house. Not fancy. Just finished. After the past two days of hauling mud, jackhammering concrete, spreading gravel and pumping water I feel I've earned the right to complain just a little.

  We are almost done one project. Not a pretty one but a necessary one. Soon we can start making everything beautiful. At this moment I'll take a space we can use no matter what it looks like. In my mind, I see walls, floors and a bathroom with a shower. There are lights, sliding barn doors and furniture. A fireplace and home theater round it off.

  But the one thing I can't wait for.....the sound of laughter from our family enjoying being together in our pretty finished basement!

  Ang

  

  

  
  

  

All The Same

  Every month I get an "update" of sorts on this blog. How many people have visited the site, which entries were read the most etc etc. All very good information which helps me to understand those of you reading it. But every month one thing still shocks me...where you are all from!

  Here is a sampling of the countries where folks have visited this site from....the Philippines, Brazil, India, Austria, Portugal, Germany, Poland and France. Not to mention Nigeria, Russia, China, Ukraine and Australia. That's insane.

  But it proves one thing I've known for a very long time...we are more alike than different. People are going about their business every day, going to work, getting the kids to school, paying bills. In the evenings we all have dinner, do dishes and laundry, try to get the children to do their homework. Watch the news, walk the dog, get to the gym. On the weekend we buy groceries, go to a movie, visit our family. That's whether we live in Ottawa, Canada or Kiev, Ukraine.

  When I'm writing about being angry with my cell phone bill someone on the other side of the world is thinking "I get that". Or how my friends get me through the hard times in my life and help me celebrate the great ones, a person in China is nodding along. 

  No matter where we live, our financial situation, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or education we all want the same things. Happiness. Good health. A bright future for our kids. Clean water to drink. Friends and family who love us.  

  From the bottom of my heart I say thank you. For allowing me into your lives. For letting me brag about my kids and husband. For listening to me rant about everything else. For proving we truly are all basically the same.

  That is something important to remember in these days of uncertainty.

  Ang

**when you have a minute visit my Facebook page Life As I See It or on Twitter thekernicklife @AngelaOttawa and let me know where you are from...including you Canadian's and U.S. folks**

Time

  It seems like the days go by very slowly, especially in the winter. Then other times you blink and the week is over. If you are waiting for vacation then the days drag on. Even though you just paid your hydro bill another has arrived thanking you for paying the previous one....three weeks ago. Our concept of time seems to be ever changing.

  The true measure of time can be found in our children. I can remember every single detail of the day we took Alex home from the hospital. How we put the car seat in wrong. The speed we drove to get across the city. Taking him through the house and giving him the grand tour. Even putting him in the bassinet beside our bed and watching him sleep. That was almost fourteen years ago. Hard to believe.

  That same baby is now almost six feet tall with headphones permanently attached to his head. The only similarity left is the overwhelming appetite! And to us it seems like yesterday or maybe last year. Time flew by.

  Riley is double digits now. I was carrying him to get Alex from the school bus just last week. Or so it seems. No more putting him to bed and reading him a story. Now he might ask to be tucked in but he's reading himself a book and rolling over. Independence has arrived in many ways from walking alone to the bus stop to not giving me a hug when his friends are around. Again flying by.

  Yesterday it was five years since my Dad died. Five years. Can't be. It seems like I just spoke to him last week and he was asking me how much snow we had. How could five years have passed that quickly? Doesn't seem possible. Death is another way to truly see how fast the days go by.

  Use the "for company" dishes with the fancy wine glasses even if you are having macaroni and milk. Leave the dishes in the sink and take that walk with your spouse. Don't worry about the beds not being made and dance with your children. Forget about the messy house and invite your friends over and laugh til you cry or even pee a little. Pick up the phone and call your grandmother. Life is too short.

   Those saying we are so fond of....I can't wait til vacation, come on Friday, wait til I retire, I'll do that next year.....show how little we understand time and it's passing. Time waits for no one. Not you. Not me. 

  Let's use it wisely.

  Ang