Hawaii Five-OH!

In short order, I and the fam are Hawaii bound! Would you believe this trip has been 10 years—less about 7 weeks—in the making?

I was first scheduled to fly to Hawaii for Christmas 1999 with Kate. Instead, I spent two weeks in the hospital after amputating my fingers in a saw mill. Boo hiss.


Ever since then, as far as I can tell, there’s been a bit of a hex on Hawaii in our circles which for quite a while scared me into not wanting to get on any plane that goes there.

But here I am, a decade older and ready to go! In celebration of getting past this mental barrier, and without further adieu... StuLand’s ‘Legend or Luau’ quiz and first-ever prize giveaway for this blog!

The following is a collection of Hawaii-related calamities which may have occurred in the last ten years, adding to my fear of travelling to that place in the sun to which I now dare venture, or perhaps I just made ‘em up... you decide!

Here are the rules:
1) Leave a response, either on the blog or through to my email, and respond in this fashion...
1. Legend (false)
2. Luau (true)
...and so on. So, just type the question number, along with ‘legend’ or ‘luau’, and that’s it!
2) The person with the most right answers will be sent a tasty treat in the mail, purchased in Hawaii! (no, not Maui-Wowee... we are neither travelling to Maui, nor turning ourselves into drug mules). Actual type of treat TBA! Something macadamia-ey perhaps?
3) Multiple correct entries will result in all the correct entries going into a hat for a random draw to win the loot.
4) Sorry, IMMEDIATE family members not eligible... you know too much...:)
5) Deadline for entry is...oh, I don't know. two weeks today. Nov. 10, 2009. At noon. any entries after that time won't be considered.

I’ll announce the winner on a blog post afterwards, and I’ll ask you to send me your mailing address!
Okay, here we go. First one is easy!

Legend or Luau:
1. Stuart did not travel to Hawaii as a 20 year-old because he cut off his fingers days before departure, and landed in the hospital...

2. A family friend planned to travel to Hawaii. Days before departure, one of the family members got a severe infection and they too landed in the hospital, unable to travel...

3. Another family friend DID eventually get to Hawaii, but they missed their initial flight booking. They were arrested in front of their kids at the airport upon suspicion of being wanted on an outstanding warrant...

4. One of the officiates that Kate and I were considering to have us married back in 2005 was originally okay with the dates of our ceremony, but his partner sprung a surprise trip to Hawaii on him as a gift during the same dates. So, he went to Hawaii... and got gravely ill while there...

5. I had a friend who was travelling to Hawaii for a winter vacation a couple years ago (same town we are going to now, incidentally!). They had saved for a while to travel; no vacations for a few years before this trip. Travel went fine, no snags... until they got to the hotel they were booked into...which had been completely demolished for redevelopment, a fact of which they were never informed by the travel agent...

6. A family member booked a trip to Hawaii a few years ago. They slipped a disc in their back a short time later, and required surgery to correct it...

7. The same family member did get to Hawaii, despite. Whilst camping in a touring van, they were rudely awakened one night to the glare of a police spotlight, police cars, and an officer on a loudspeaker. They had been singled out as drug runners / dealers...

8. In April of this year, a former classmate of mine was en route to Sydney, Australia. They, along with eight other passengers and two flight attendants on the Air Canada flight were injured when sudden turbulence struck...and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in...Hawaii...

9. Hawaiian locals are not immune. In 2003, a 12 year old was surfing a kilometre off shore when she had her arm bitten off by a shark. She still surfs. Her arm was never found...

10. One member of our party for this long awaited trip has already fallen victim to the Hawaiian Hex. While not contagious and still able to travel, one of us travelling has contracted, of all strange things, lime disease...

11. A friend’s trip to Maui came to a disturbing conclusion when, on their last night there and out on the town, they got into a fist fight with David Hasslehoff after the actor started heckling him at one of the local night clubs. Okay, this one is a joke... It would be of course true, though, as you may not be able to Hassle the Hoff, but the Hoff can Hassle you...

Thus concludes my little quiz! Remember, Nov. 10th, 12 noon is the dealine! Good luck!

Knowing Monique

You don’t need to know Monique to know Monique’s type, and to feel you know her well.

Heck, in all honesty, the only place I can say I know her from is the office. Well, that and unfortunately, bedside in a hospital room.

Our office lost a colleague to cancer this week. More than that though, we lost a friend.

When I first started my job in February of 2007, I was taken around and introduced to all the staff. I didn’t meet Monique that day. Nor the next, nor the one after that. When I started here, Monique was already off work, battling with breast cancer. So no, I didn’t get to meet Monique right away.

But I sure heard about her.

The Legal Office Manager here, Monique was clearly a friendly force to be reckoned with. Everyone talked about her, people took time to visit her after work and on weekends. People spoke of her calm nature, her soft-spoken demeanour and light-hearted way.


Finally, after months of my working here, she was able to return to work and by the time she came through my office door to introduce herself to me, I felt like I knew her.

I think, even if I hadn’t heard everyone’s stories about her, my first impression would still have been to say that she was a friend. And so it went from there. Monique was back. Happy, productive, with the aura of victory over the ugliness of cancer.

As I got to know her, personally this time, she came to learn about my mother’s battle with breast cancer, which was happening at the same time as hers. She also came to learn about my father’s passing from cancer a few Spring seasons ago. She lost her own father a year ago. As was Monique’s way, she did not dwell on her own trials and tribulations, but was always asking about others.
“How is your mom doing, Stuart?,” or “Any more follow-up appointments?” and “ So glad to hear she’s doing well.”

How could this woman care so much about other people’s woes when she had so much on her own plate? That was just who Monique was.

Well, Monique’s presence in the office didn’t last long. The cancer came back. Monique, forever faithful and optimistic was ready for the fight. With prayers and positive thinking, she was going to beat her cancer.

I saw her for the last time, on my birthday, when I went to visit her in the palliative care unit of Burnaby Hospital. Nauseous, thinned, tired and weakened by months of treatments and an unrelenting cancer, she was still impossibly optimistic.

I was able to visit with Monique one-on-one for a little while. No mean feat, considering the steady stream of colleagues and other friends in to visit her, and the presence of her seven siblings who had arrived in town to see her through her final stretch.

“How is your mom doing Stuart?” Even then, more concerned for others than herself. Monique spoke of her faith, of going to meet The Father, and of seeing her father again, whom she couldn’t wait to see again, just knowing he would be waiting for her.
“God has decided I don’t need this body anymore,” she said, and after a quick pause, “and at this point I agree with Him,” she said with a little bit of cheek in her voice.

We had our little visit--for a few minutes anyway--in the lounge of the care unit. She asked about my family, how my son was developing. We only had a few minutes to chat before she said she was tired and wanted to go lie down. I wheeled her in to her room and she lay down. I didn’t stay long after that, just enough time to say goodbye. When I say goodbye to someone in this situation, like I have in the past to others I prefer to say thanks rather than goodbye, so that's what i did.

“Thank you? For what?” she asked quizzically. My response was quick and to the point.
“Just for being you; for your life. We love you. You’re an inspiration, and I—and everyone—is better for knowing you.”

I followed that up by saying I was pretty sure it was the first time I’ve told a co-worker I loved them, but then, all of her colleagues have said it, and we all mean it.

She laughed a little then, as if she didn’t believe it I think.
“Take care, Monique,” I said on the way out the door.
“You too,” she replied. “Glad your mum is doing well,” she said again.

Her last facebook status, updated by one of her siblings, simply says “Today is the day I got my wings.”

You earned them Monique, no question. Thank you. We’ll miss you, friend.

What Lies Beyond 30?!

Last night, I said goodbye to the final day of my twenties in fine style, and as a result I ushered in a new era of thirtyness this morning feeling every bit my age. I have no one to blame but myself. My whole body aches—my knees especially from all that jumping around-- I’m tired, I have a headache...

Yeah, it was a late one last night. Got right into it with the boys. Got served a few, killed a few, blocked a few.

Blocked a few?

No, I wasn’t drinking away my twenties last night, I was on the volleyball court.

30 years old is going around like a flu bug in my circles; my peer group are all just “of that age” now. As one with a birthday somewhat late in the year, I’ve had the chance to sit back and observe as others cross this threshold before me. To the people who have been a bit freaked out about it, I have to ask:

why?

People say they lament the loss of their 20’s.

Huh?

Do you want to go back to massive student debts and eating kraft dinner three nights a week? Do you want to go back to moving from basement suite to basement suite? Are you so attached to your ‘Bar Star’ status?

And then there are people like Matthew McConaughey’s character in ‘Dazed and Confused’, who said "...the great thing about high school girls is that I keep getting older, but they just stay the same age..." CREEPY, yes, and I also think reflective of someone who might be afraid of the future or doesn’t feel like they’ve accomplished enough of what they wanted to and is running out of time. Thus, they’d prefer to stay in the past.


I feel nothing of those things, and I’m totally looking forward to the next thirty years. Seriously, what’s to be worried about? God willing, this is not my mid-life point, so crisis averted there. God willing, I have only advancement ahead of me in terms of career. God willing, I’ll get to see my happy little family grow and develop. I presume there’s going to be more time for seeing the world, reading good books, seeing good movies, going to good parties and concerts, eating good food and spending time with good people. And, God willing, good health will stay with me through it all.

So if that’s all true, then this really isn’t a time for worry, or need of pause, or morose self-evaluation.

So, simply, happy birthday to me. Today is a good day, and I am glad to be in it. Yesterday was a good day and so too, I expect, tomorrow will be as well. And hey, why fight it? After all:

There is no cure for birth and death, save to enjoy the interval.
– George Santayana

Ps-if you want to buy me a beer at some point because you think the occasion requires more celebration, I won’t object to that ;) For now, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m gonna go ice my knees.

Summer Recap!

Okay, I hate to vocalize this when the sun is still shining and we’ve not yet hit the Labour Day long weekend...but... summer is coming to a close. Insert deep, heartfelt >sigh< here.

There’s hardly been a free weekend since June around our house. So on the one hand, the end of the summer stretch means not only leaves starting to turn (heads up people, it’s already happening!), it also means the return a slower pace for us, which is perhaps not necessarily a bad thing. Particularly for Sacha, I think, who is proving himself to be a happy homebody type of guy.

This summer may have been busy, but it was good-busy. Our garden has seen a bumper crop this year, for which we are ever thankful. Dad would be impressed with our carrots, no doubt about it. Aside from harvesting food and enjoying the bounty, we’ve been able to go to a few weddings as well. One wedding was enjoyed in a scenic vineyard in Duncan on Vancouver Island, and the most recent wedding-- which was for my very best friend Doug—was on the shore of Kalamalka Lake in Vernon. Both weddings were amazing settings and memorable occasions.

But as for Doug... Doug and I have known each other for—give or take—27, 28 years? We were first paired in a babysitting co-oop that our parents belonged to when we wuz juss knee-high to grasshoppers. Translation: babies.





To be able to stand up as his best man and watch him get married was nothing short of a life moment for me, and to be able to stand in front of a room full of friends and family to toast to his life and enduring friendship was a wonderful privilege.

I’m secretly hoping that he and his wife, Laura, will end up with at least one kid that turns out to be a similar age gap to that of Doug and I, and maybe, just maybe, we can watch our own friendship be re-done in the next generation.















Another exciting event for this summer came just last weekend when Kate’s side of the family took possession of a new lil’ lakeside vacation spot in Whistler. As the pictures can attest to, it’s a very nice place and Kate and I feel so lucky and absolutely spoiled rotten to be able to be in on it.

There’s a very good chance that we’ll be spending a ton of time here!

Backpedalling, this house is actually the second lakeside house we got to stay in this summer, as there was another trip to the Okanagan at the tail end of July where the family met up at a friend’s house on Skaha lake for some “summer” fun.



I say “summer”, because for the few days I got to spend there, it was probably 70 per cent thunderstorms, clouds, and / or rain in stark contrast to the 36 degrees and sunshine that the rest of the family enjoyed before I got my days off work and joined them. Don't get me wrong, good times were had, but it all seemed terribly unfair given the fact that for week after week, B.C. was bathed in delicious summer heat, which I generally viewed out my office window, rather than experienced out and about in the world. It taunted me as I x'ed days off my calendar looking forward to the few days of summer sun I was going to enjoy in the Okanagan. Oh well, All the rain was good for the forest fire situation in B.C. As most are aware, this summer has been the most expensive season on record for fighting fires around here, as God bascially chose to turn the entire province into his personal marshmallow roasting pit.

Anyway, fast forwarding back to the present (you still with me?) and here we are, the last week of August. I'll be working out of Kamloops from Thursday to Tuesday, and maybe after that, it'll be time to chill out a bit! Sacha is glad to be done with all the running around. It may just give him time to work on... running around, ironically enough. He’s not figured out his land legs quite yet, but he’s almost there. I kinda get the feeling that once he figures out how to walk, any perceived “fall season downtime” will disappear quickly!


until next time then!

Stu goes to Yoga, and other tales of personal fitness...

Let’s face facts: I’m two things, concretely. Frugal, and pushing 30. These two things may not seem connected, but I’ll get there. Some months ago after using up a month’s free pass at the Steve Nash Sports Club in downtown Vancouver which was given to me, I decided I was so in love with the place that I had to buy a membership. Enter: frugality. At more than a $100 / month for membership, however, this was not a bullet I was willing to bite. But, I’d been tired of my old gym membership at a local ‘Fitness World’ for ages. And after the multi-floored, fabulously equipped, sauna and steam roomed opulence of the Steve Nash club, I could not go back to my regular gym. I just couldn’t. But I couldn’t bring myself to pay that money, either. So began an internal dialogue and debate that ran on for a few weeks.
--------------------
“You’re almost 30, Stu. Your knees are a mess and you know it. You gotta keep up the leg strength to keep those knees in functional order. You’re not even at the trey-decade mark and already you can’t jog anymore!”
“Yeah, but, $100 a month at a minimum? You gotta be kidding me”
“You wanna go back to the fitness world? With their one bench press station, one rowing machine, just to name a few...”
“Yeah but...”
“Yeahbutnothing. The overcrowding, the complete lack of machines to or weights to work your legs? You NEED Steve and his club, Stu. You NEED it...”
“Oh, well if it’s a need, then maybe...”
“C’mooooon, think about it. The two levels of premium equipment, the complimentary towel service, electronic lockers and toiletries, AND all the fitness, spin and yoga classes are included in the price! If you use those service as well , this membership practically pays YOU!”
“Hmmm... Yoga, hey? Namaste...”
“That’s the spirit!”
“But a hundred dollars a month?”
“THAT’s IT! I quit! You do what you want, but I’m outta here!”
----------------------
And so, with that, I knew that I had to find a way to pay less. And, I’m happy to say that where there’s a tight wad, there’s a way. I got a membership at the club for $60 bucks a month, which on the surface still seems a bit steep for a gym, but hey, as my brain told me, if you actually attend some of the classes, it totally makes it cheaper than having a gym membership, having to pay extra to attend fitness classes, and having to go to a yoga studio somewhere else anyway.
And so, I drank the punch, and as of last night, I attended my first ever yoga class. I arrived ten minutes early; there was another class in the studio before my sessions for beginners. Looking through the glass into the calm, exotic space on the other side, it looked like a cross between a very concentrated workout and nap time. Me like.
Soon enough it was my turn, along with eight others looking to get their downward dogs on as well. Over the next hour, my body reminded me that I’m almost 30 at least a dozen times as I tried to gumbify myself into Ardha-matsyendra-asana-like pretzels, or maintain my cool through an Utkatasana stance.
But seriously folks, after the hour, I was hooked. I want some more. From controlled breathing through each new pose, to the dark stained bamboo floors and space awash in soft light, I was right into this stuff. Can’t wait until I can do it again!
---------------
“See, what did I tell you. The membership is totally worth it, right?”
Yeah yeah yeah, you’re the best, I’m the worst.”
“Dude, you just came from a yoga class. Don’t think like that.”
“Oh right. I mean ‘Namaste, Namaskar’”.
“That’s better. Now hit the showers. And maybe the steam room, too. Hey, how are those knees, by the way?”
“don’t harsh my mellow, brain.”
“oh. Okay. Well, we’ll keep working on that. Don’t worry, you’re not 30 for another three months.”