Signing off
It seems like only yesterday, I was signing off this blog to pack up my belongings for a move. The unpacking went so slowly, I ended up being off the air for far longer than I wished.
Today, I feel the need to disconnect now, before I can get absorbed in more surfing and working. I need to disconnect so I can find the will to pack for my move to Toronto. This time, the packing will be far more limited. I'll just be taking clothing, toiletries, my computer, and a few required computer manuals. When I return home in two weeks for the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, I'll be sure to bring some more things down with me.
Now, however, I must disconnect my computer so that I can reconfigure the remaining computers in the house to work without benefit of my server.
Until next week, so long!
Friday, September 27, 2002
Reluctant but ready
I don't fear change, as much as I fear the effects of separation anxiety. By choice, I've not spent more than two nights straight away from my wife in the 13 years since we've met. We truly enjoy eachother's company, and even when we're not on the best of terms, it's clear there's no one I'd rather be with. I've found myself sobbing out loud these past two days, as the realization that our tender moments will be far too infrequent starts to take hold.
I love my step son too, but we're not too close any more. Long gone are the days when we played together... when he laughed at my jokes and my comic expressions; when he was interested in my opinions and was willing to at least listen to my advice. Last night, when I said "I'll miss you" while trying to suppress sobs, I'm sure he thought I was putting on a show. He's a young adult now, following his own path, and in the way that only youth can explain, will probably be glad to see me go. Whether he's still living at home when it comes time to move the rest of the household to Toronto is anyone's guess. Whether he chooses to follow his mother is up to debate.
So, this weekend, I start the next, scary chapter of my life. I'll go kicking and screaming to my new home, my new job, my new life. And I pray to God that I can keep it all together for the good of the family.
I don't fear change, as much as I fear the effects of separation anxiety. By choice, I've not spent more than two nights straight away from my wife in the 13 years since we've met. We truly enjoy eachother's company, and even when we're not on the best of terms, it's clear there's no one I'd rather be with. I've found myself sobbing out loud these past two days, as the realization that our tender moments will be far too infrequent starts to take hold.
I love my step son too, but we're not too close any more. Long gone are the days when we played together... when he laughed at my jokes and my comic expressions; when he was interested in my opinions and was willing to at least listen to my advice. Last night, when I said "I'll miss you" while trying to suppress sobs, I'm sure he thought I was putting on a show. He's a young adult now, following his own path, and in the way that only youth can explain, will probably be glad to see me go. Whether he's still living at home when it comes time to move the rest of the household to Toronto is anyone's guess. Whether he chooses to follow his mother is up to debate.
So, this weekend, I start the next, scary chapter of my life. I'll go kicking and screaming to my new home, my new job, my new life. And I pray to God that I can keep it all together for the good of the family.
Thursday, September 26, 2002
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
3 days
I feel like those end-of-season ads that try to get you to do something you'd rather not do - spend money. I don't want to leave. I'll miss my wife, my sister, my parents, my step-children, my in-laws, my grand children and my dogs. I'll miss the quiet of the small town I was born in, and lived the majority of my life in.
I won't miss the polluted air, horrible summer humidity and insanely high gas prices. But, for the most part, I will miss home. I've become accustomed to working from home on projects of my choosing - going to bed late (or not at all) and sometimes waking up late (or not at all). The rigours of a 9-5 existence and the prospect of numbing rush hour traffic are things I dread. But it's got to happen. Eventually, I have to have meaningful employment.
After I accepted the job, they sent me the "standard" employment contract. I don't know what zombies usually sign this document, but it seemed clear that virtually all the perks promised during the verbal negotiation were subject to withdrawal by the terms of the written agreement (which, of course, supercedes all prior verbal commitments). So, I politely wrote back that the employment agreement was unacceptable. I included suggested revisions. As of now, the revisions have not been incorporated into the agreement. I may be unemployed and dealing from a relative position of weakness. But, if I sign the agreement in its current form, I might soon be unemployed again and no longer the legal owner of those copyrighted materials I have previously created.
So, I'll stand firm. If the company in Toronto truly is not after my prior creations, they should have no problem compromising on the wording of the employment agreement. And if they don't want to compromise now, I really don't have any reason to believe they'll be any more cooperative later.
I've made arrangements to rent a car for the next month (instead of committing to buying or leasing a second car). That should give me enough time to decide whether I'm secure in my new job. And, my sister has agreed to put me up for the first month. So, I don't have to commit to a one-year apartment lease right away.
I feel like those end-of-season ads that try to get you to do something you'd rather not do - spend money. I don't want to leave. I'll miss my wife, my sister, my parents, my step-children, my in-laws, my grand children and my dogs. I'll miss the quiet of the small town I was born in, and lived the majority of my life in.
I won't miss the polluted air, horrible summer humidity and insanely high gas prices. But, for the most part, I will miss home. I've become accustomed to working from home on projects of my choosing - going to bed late (or not at all) and sometimes waking up late (or not at all). The rigours of a 9-5 existence and the prospect of numbing rush hour traffic are things I dread. But it's got to happen. Eventually, I have to have meaningful employment.
After I accepted the job, they sent me the "standard" employment contract. I don't know what zombies usually sign this document, but it seemed clear that virtually all the perks promised during the verbal negotiation were subject to withdrawal by the terms of the written agreement (which, of course, supercedes all prior verbal commitments). So, I politely wrote back that the employment agreement was unacceptable. I included suggested revisions. As of now, the revisions have not been incorporated into the agreement. I may be unemployed and dealing from a relative position of weakness. But, if I sign the agreement in its current form, I might soon be unemployed again and no longer the legal owner of those copyrighted materials I have previously created.
So, I'll stand firm. If the company in Toronto truly is not after my prior creations, they should have no problem compromising on the wording of the employment agreement. And if they don't want to compromise now, I really don't have any reason to believe they'll be any more cooperative later.
I've made arrangements to rent a car for the next month (instead of committing to buying or leasing a second car). That should give me enough time to decide whether I'm secure in my new job. And, my sister has agreed to put me up for the first month. So, I don't have to commit to a one-year apartment lease right away.
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Am I having fun yet?
Getting ready to move to a new city with a week's notice is no fun at all. I don't have a car, and don't have a place to live. I'm hoping to stay with my sister for a short while, but ideally, I'd like to NOT commit to a car lease or apartment lease without at least a month of employment under my belt. Whether I can afford a rental car for a month, and whether my sister can tolerate me under the same roof for a month has yet to be seen.
I'm no fan of long distance romance, and am definitely NOT looking forward to being away from my wife for so long. Even if things go well and I get an apartment in Toronto, it means I will only see my wife for the equivalent of 7 weeks out of the next year. Even if I spent my entire vacation in Windsor, that would only bring it to 8-1/2 weeks. That sucks!
Getting ready to move to a new city with a week's notice is no fun at all. I don't have a car, and don't have a place to live. I'm hoping to stay with my sister for a short while, but ideally, I'd like to NOT commit to a car lease or apartment lease without at least a month of employment under my belt. Whether I can afford a rental car for a month, and whether my sister can tolerate me under the same roof for a month has yet to be seen.
I'm no fan of long distance romance, and am definitely NOT looking forward to being away from my wife for so long. Even if things go well and I get an apartment in Toronto, it means I will only see my wife for the equivalent of 7 weeks out of the next year. Even if I spent my entire vacation in Windsor, that would only bring it to 8-1/2 weeks. That sucks!
Monday, September 23, 2002
Saturday, September 21, 2002
Sold!
Having spent much of the afternoon looking at property in the Toronto area (try www.mls.ca and see for yourself!), I had almost given up hope. Then, I tried some of the CLOSE suburbs. I had assumed they would all be expensive, and those far enough away to be inexpensive would leave me with an unbelievable commute.
Then, we looked further afield to Guelph and Kitchener. The homes were a lot less than Toronto, but still not cheap. I guess lots of people have decided this is the place to live. But the commute was over an hour! Ironically, we hadn't considered any of the close-in suburbs. When we started looking around, we stumbled upon Brampton. The housing is more in line with what is available here (maybe a 15-30% premium over Windsor). But the commute time is under 30 minutes, and avoids most of the busy freeways.
I still want to find a place to rent for the "honeymoon period" before selling my home and moving my family up - but this just might be do-able! I'm leaning toward saying "Yes" on Monday!
Having spent much of the afternoon looking at property in the Toronto area (try www.mls.ca and see for yourself!), I had almost given up hope. Then, I tried some of the CLOSE suburbs. I had assumed they would all be expensive, and those far enough away to be inexpensive would leave me with an unbelievable commute.
Then, we looked further afield to Guelph and Kitchener. The homes were a lot less than Toronto, but still not cheap. I guess lots of people have decided this is the place to live. But the commute was over an hour! Ironically, we hadn't considered any of the close-in suburbs. When we started looking around, we stumbled upon Brampton. The housing is more in line with what is available here (maybe a 15-30% premium over Windsor). But the commute time is under 30 minutes, and avoids most of the busy freeways.
I still want to find a place to rent for the "honeymoon period" before selling my home and moving my family up - but this just might be do-able! I'm leaning toward saying "Yes" on Monday!
Could it be???
Someone wants to hire me! I'm at once giddy and cautious. After all, my last job was supposed to be my last job. The company was big and diverse. There was room to grow in the organization, and enough variety to keep me interested. Now, another company thinks I have what it takes. It looks like a fun place to work. Sure, it was dress-down Friday, but still, people inside looked reasonably happy. I just have questions about the long-term prospects with the company. I'd classify it as a startup with lots of years experience. In business for over 20 years, these guys still are very small. They've bounced from one product to the next, one development platform to the next. Their current product/platform is one I am familiar with (hence the opportunity). It's not a technology that's well-known, so this might be my last opportunity to find work anytime soon.
So what's the problem? Small company = small payroll. The owner readily admits he pays far below the "average" payscale for Toronto - the second most expensive city in Canada. Windsor (where I am now) is something of a contradiction. We have one of the highest per capita incomes in Canada, with one of the lowest cost-of-living indexes. It's a one-industry, union-ruled town, with highly paid blue-collar workers making up the bulk of the population. IT job opportunities are scarce here - scarcer during recessions. And the situation in Detroit doesn't appear to be getting better any time soon.
But, this company wants a commitment from me without offering the level of income that I think I'll need to sustain me in Toronto. Housing (my biggest issue) is from 3-5 times more expensive in Toronto than it is here. And I'm being asked to take a salary nearly half of what I've become accustomed to. You do the math.
Meanwhile, my unemployment benefits run out in a month.
I told them I'd give them an answer on Monday.
Someone wants to hire me! I'm at once giddy and cautious. After all, my last job was supposed to be my last job. The company was big and diverse. There was room to grow in the organization, and enough variety to keep me interested. Now, another company thinks I have what it takes. It looks like a fun place to work. Sure, it was dress-down Friday, but still, people inside looked reasonably happy. I just have questions about the long-term prospects with the company. I'd classify it as a startup with lots of years experience. In business for over 20 years, these guys still are very small. They've bounced from one product to the next, one development platform to the next. Their current product/platform is one I am familiar with (hence the opportunity). It's not a technology that's well-known, so this might be my last opportunity to find work anytime soon.
So what's the problem? Small company = small payroll. The owner readily admits he pays far below the "average" payscale for Toronto - the second most expensive city in Canada. Windsor (where I am now) is something of a contradiction. We have one of the highest per capita incomes in Canada, with one of the lowest cost-of-living indexes. It's a one-industry, union-ruled town, with highly paid blue-collar workers making up the bulk of the population. IT job opportunities are scarce here - scarcer during recessions. And the situation in Detroit doesn't appear to be getting better any time soon.
But, this company wants a commitment from me without offering the level of income that I think I'll need to sustain me in Toronto. Housing (my biggest issue) is from 3-5 times more expensive in Toronto than it is here. And I'm being asked to take a salary nearly half of what I've become accustomed to. You do the math.
Meanwhile, my unemployment benefits run out in a month.
I told them I'd give them an answer on Monday.
Thursday, September 19, 2002
Catching up - Part IV - Laurie's Birthday (Part 2)
Well, with all the contractors mulling around all day, there wasn't much I could do with my wife during the afternoon (she had taken the afternoon off work). Instead, we were still hanging around the front yard when the backhoe driver finished filling in the hole around 7:00PM. So, when the backhoe driver found out it was my wife's birthday, he offered to let her pose for photos with the backhoe.
I'll post them here when I locate a freeware jpg compression software...
Update: My sister-in-law located a jpg compression utility (rudimentary, but functional - and free)
Finally, Laurie, her son, and I went out for a birthday dinner. It was a wonderful meal. I had decided to buy a smallish gift (rather than none at all) since we're on a tight budget. Apparently it was the perfect gift, since, after opening it, she reminded me that I had already bought the same gift for her for Christmas! I guess I'll be trying to find an appropriate replacement this weekend.
Well, with all the contractors mulling around all day, there wasn't much I could do with my wife during the afternoon (she had taken the afternoon off work). Instead, we were still hanging around the front yard when the backhoe driver finished filling in the hole around 7:00PM. So, when the backhoe driver found out it was my wife's birthday, he offered to let her pose for photos with the backhoe.
I'll post them here when I locate a freeware jpg compression software...
Update: My sister-in-law located a jpg compression utility (rudimentary, but functional - and free)
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Finally, Laurie, her son, and I went out for a birthday dinner. It was a wonderful meal. I had decided to buy a smallish gift (rather than none at all) since we're on a tight budget. Apparently it was the perfect gift, since, after opening it, she reminded me that I had already bought the same gift for her for Christmas! I guess I'll be trying to find an appropriate replacement this weekend.
Catching up - Part IV - Laurie's Birthday - Part 1
Wednesday was Laurie's Birthday. My wonderful wife has had a difficult year, what with my unemployment, her job stresses, and the burden of being such a caring mother for her three children who have unique problems of their own. Today was her day to have some good done for her. While she was at work, the electricians came to the house, and were able to complete all the outstanding issues, including installation of the new under-counter Microwave Oven/Hood Fan. This installation had been dreaded (and delayed for over a month) for a couple of reasons... first, the installation was not part of the electrician's contract, and I really couldn't afford to pay extra; and second, the wall space where the oven/fan was to be mounted was three inches narrower than the width of the oven. On this day, I was able to convince the electricians to mount the oven in exchange for services in the original contract that they claimed could not be completed due to the age of our home (and an inability to access existing wiring without damaging the walls). To overcome the problem of the wall being too narrow, I had suggested that they cut away a portion of the doorway frame. This added about 2.5 inches to the width of bare wall. It was sufficient to hang the oven with only about 1/2 inch overhang into the doorway.
But, even with that problem solved, the oven couldn't be hung because we don't have a cabinet over the stove onto which to attach the oven. Let me digress... Before buying the oven, we made it clear to the salesman that we needed a wall-mountable unit (as opposed to an over-counter unit). Having trotted out the instruction manual for this model, the salesman indicated that it was clear that the oven came with a "wall mount template", and instructions on how to mount the unit to the wall. Sure, the box also came with under-cabinet mounting instructions, but we thought that part was optional.
Bottom line, when we actually tried to mount the oven, it was abundantly clear that it would not be possible to simply stick it on the wall like a fridge magnet. After much discussion with the contractors (who offered to build/mount some kitchen cabinets for us - yes, these "electricians" were also our carpenters), we decided that the most cost-effective solution would be to mount some L-brackets to the wall, above the location of the stove, and then screw the L-bracket into the top of the microwave (as if the screws had been applied through an over-the-stove cabinet. This solution seems to have worked, though we'll need to keep a careful eye on these brackets to ensure they don't come loose over time.
Moving on... during the morning, I received my last digging clearance from the utilities. Now, it was time to call the plumber who I had selected to install the front-yard cleanout. To my surprise, he indicated he could come over that same afternoon to do the job. He arrived earlier than anticipated, getting to the house at about 11:00AM. And with him, was his backhoe operator. I had opted to forego hiring the guy with the underground camera, because I had located the digging location by sound echos when our house had been electric eeled. Confident in that information, the backhoe operator started to dig. And dig. And dig. He had gotten down about 4 feet when we all started to have some doubts. After all, the echos had been SO CLEAR it was unlikely the sound could have come from so far down. We thought we'd go down one more foot... All of a sudden, we hit a water line (thankfully not the main line, just the one leading to our house)!
How could that be?! We had received all the clearances, and the path of the water line had been clearly marked on my lawn - the backhoe was nowhere near that line. We had to call the city water department. When they came to shut off the water, they put their special "key" into the shutoff valve and tried to turn off the flow. Nothing happened. They tried again, this time using a cutting oil to loosen the valve. Still no stopping the flow. Finally, one of the city workers had a brainstorm. He used a metal detector to follow the break backwards from the hole to the shutoff valve. In so doing, he discovered a SECOND shutoff, obscured by some topsoil. It seems the original clue came, saw the exposed valve, and assumed it was ours. It turned out to be our neighbor's, and we had ended up digging right over our water line.
It took a couple of hours to repair the damage and restore water to my home. Then, we started to move the backhoe a bit further from the original digging spot, looking for the sewer line... Fast forward two hours, and half of my front yard is gone. We've been following a parallel path to the original dig site, and have still not located the sewer line. In desperation, I finally give in and place a call to the underground camera guy. Within a half hour of his arrival, he's got a camera going through the underground piping, and the video screen is showing a mass of tree roots obstruction the pipes. In fact, it gets to the point where the camera runs into roots so thick, the camera cannot proceed further down the line. It is blocked about 12 feet short of where we think the proper dig spot should be. According to the magnetic locator mounted to the head of the camera, the operator indicates that we should be digging IN THE ORIGINAL DIG LOCATION!!!
The backhoe now positions itself over the original hole, and as it carefully avoids the now-repaired water line, we continue to dig deeper. At about the 6-1/2 foot depth, we finally locate the sewer line.
Once the line was located, we used an electric eel to find its way back towards our house. And we find that as the eel is withdrawn, it has picked up fresh clay on its head. That means that somewhere underground, at about the same place where the video camera had run into thick roots, the undergound sewer line has been broken. We think it was broken by tree roots that had made their way into the pipe. We used the eel to cut out the overgrowth of tree roots, but decided it was well outside our budget to fix the entire length of broken sewer line. It will stay as it is until the previous owner agrees to pay for its repair.
So now, we have a cleanout installed on our lawn, but we got more bad news on the plumbing front. The internal drainage pipes are galvanized steel, and the feeder pipes that empty the kitchen/bathroom sinks into the main line are so clogged with rust that they are virtually unusable. Although the toilet and shower no longer back up, it is impossible to use the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or dishwasher without causing water to back up for hours (6-8 hours on average). No amount of cleaning of pipes seems to help, and this part of the plumbing will need to be repaired within the next few days.
Wednesday was Laurie's Birthday. My wonderful wife has had a difficult year, what with my unemployment, her job stresses, and the burden of being such a caring mother for her three children who have unique problems of their own. Today was her day to have some good done for her. While she was at work, the electricians came to the house, and were able to complete all the outstanding issues, including installation of the new under-counter Microwave Oven/Hood Fan. This installation had been dreaded (and delayed for over a month) for a couple of reasons... first, the installation was not part of the electrician's contract, and I really couldn't afford to pay extra; and second, the wall space where the oven/fan was to be mounted was three inches narrower than the width of the oven. On this day, I was able to convince the electricians to mount the oven in exchange for services in the original contract that they claimed could not be completed due to the age of our home (and an inability to access existing wiring without damaging the walls). To overcome the problem of the wall being too narrow, I had suggested that they cut away a portion of the doorway frame. This added about 2.5 inches to the width of bare wall. It was sufficient to hang the oven with only about 1/2 inch overhang into the doorway.
But, even with that problem solved, the oven couldn't be hung because we don't have a cabinet over the stove onto which to attach the oven. Let me digress... Before buying the oven, we made it clear to the salesman that we needed a wall-mountable unit (as opposed to an over-counter unit). Having trotted out the instruction manual for this model, the salesman indicated that it was clear that the oven came with a "wall mount template", and instructions on how to mount the unit to the wall. Sure, the box also came with under-cabinet mounting instructions, but we thought that part was optional.
Bottom line, when we actually tried to mount the oven, it was abundantly clear that it would not be possible to simply stick it on the wall like a fridge magnet. After much discussion with the contractors (who offered to build/mount some kitchen cabinets for us - yes, these "electricians" were also our carpenters), we decided that the most cost-effective solution would be to mount some L-brackets to the wall, above the location of the stove, and then screw the L-bracket into the top of the microwave (as if the screws had been applied through an over-the-stove cabinet. This solution seems to have worked, though we'll need to keep a careful eye on these brackets to ensure they don't come loose over time.
Moving on... during the morning, I received my last digging clearance from the utilities. Now, it was time to call the plumber who I had selected to install the front-yard cleanout. To my surprise, he indicated he could come over that same afternoon to do the job. He arrived earlier than anticipated, getting to the house at about 11:00AM. And with him, was his backhoe operator. I had opted to forego hiring the guy with the underground camera, because I had located the digging location by sound echos when our house had been electric eeled. Confident in that information, the backhoe operator started to dig. And dig. And dig. He had gotten down about 4 feet when we all started to have some doubts. After all, the echos had been SO CLEAR it was unlikely the sound could have come from so far down. We thought we'd go down one more foot... All of a sudden, we hit a water line (thankfully not the main line, just the one leading to our house)!
How could that be?! We had received all the clearances, and the path of the water line had been clearly marked on my lawn - the backhoe was nowhere near that line. We had to call the city water department. When they came to shut off the water, they put their special "key" into the shutoff valve and tried to turn off the flow. Nothing happened. They tried again, this time using a cutting oil to loosen the valve. Still no stopping the flow. Finally, one of the city workers had a brainstorm. He used a metal detector to follow the break backwards from the hole to the shutoff valve. In so doing, he discovered a SECOND shutoff, obscured by some topsoil. It seems the original clue came, saw the exposed valve, and assumed it was ours. It turned out to be our neighbor's, and we had ended up digging right over our water line.
It took a couple of hours to repair the damage and restore water to my home. Then, we started to move the backhoe a bit further from the original digging spot, looking for the sewer line... Fast forward two hours, and half of my front yard is gone. We've been following a parallel path to the original dig site, and have still not located the sewer line. In desperation, I finally give in and place a call to the underground camera guy. Within a half hour of his arrival, he's got a camera going through the underground piping, and the video screen is showing a mass of tree roots obstruction the pipes. In fact, it gets to the point where the camera runs into roots so thick, the camera cannot proceed further down the line. It is blocked about 12 feet short of where we think the proper dig spot should be. According to the magnetic locator mounted to the head of the camera, the operator indicates that we should be digging IN THE ORIGINAL DIG LOCATION!!!
The backhoe now positions itself over the original hole, and as it carefully avoids the now-repaired water line, we continue to dig deeper. At about the 6-1/2 foot depth, we finally locate the sewer line.
Once the line was located, we used an electric eel to find its way back towards our house. And we find that as the eel is withdrawn, it has picked up fresh clay on its head. That means that somewhere underground, at about the same place where the video camera had run into thick roots, the undergound sewer line has been broken. We think it was broken by tree roots that had made their way into the pipe. We used the eel to cut out the overgrowth of tree roots, but decided it was well outside our budget to fix the entire length of broken sewer line. It will stay as it is until the previous owner agrees to pay for its repair.
So now, we have a cleanout installed on our lawn, but we got more bad news on the plumbing front. The internal drainage pipes are galvanized steel, and the feeder pipes that empty the kitchen/bathroom sinks into the main line are so clogged with rust that they are virtually unusable. Although the toilet and shower no longer back up, it is impossible to use the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or dishwasher without causing water to back up for hours (6-8 hours on average). No amount of cleaning of pipes seems to help, and this part of the plumbing will need to be repaired within the next few days.
Catching up - Part III
Tuesday, it was time to re-enter the daily ritual. The electricians who had taken the previous week off to work on another job site returned to my home. There was a bit of work that needed to get done, and they made good progress. Unfortunately, there were a couple of additional items I needed taken care of, which meant they would need to return on Wednesday.
Also on Tuesday, I had a telephone interview with a company in Toronto that might be interested in hiring me. When I hadn't heard from them by the scheduled time, I sent an email. A few minutes later, I got the call, and the interview was held. I had a good feeling about the people I was speaking with, and I think they must have felt the same way. I've been invited for a face-to-face interview in Toronto this Friday morning.
Tuesday, it was time to re-enter the daily ritual. The electricians who had taken the previous week off to work on another job site returned to my home. There was a bit of work that needed to get done, and they made good progress. Unfortunately, there were a couple of additional items I needed taken care of, which meant they would need to return on Wednesday.
Also on Tuesday, I had a telephone interview with a company in Toronto that might be interested in hiring me. When I hadn't heard from them by the scheduled time, I sent an email. A few minutes later, I got the call, and the interview was held. I had a good feeling about the people I was speaking with, and I think they must have felt the same way. I've been invited for a face-to-face interview in Toronto this Friday morning.
Catching up - Part II
Monday's fast was particularly difficult this year. Normally, on Sunday night, I "bulk up" on a carbohydrate-rich meal, hoping to store away enough energy for the coming day's prayers. This year, I "accidentally" prepared the "normal" low-calorie, low carb meals that have been mandated by the doctor to control my diabetes. By 11:00PM Sunday night, I was already hungry. That's not good news, considering the fast would go until Monday evening at 8:40PM. My biggest hunger pangs came around 7:00AM and 2:00PM on Monday. Then the headache set in. A dull ache that would stay with me throughout the afternoon and evening, and would interfere with my enjoyment of the after-fast family gathering.
During that Monday in shul, I realized how important religious observance is to me (that's not to say I'm completely observant, just that when I am observant, it really feels good). I found myself immersed in the text of the prayer book, following each word - sometimes straining against the background noise of people who were chatting with friends they hadn't seen since the previous year's services.
Monday's fast was particularly difficult this year. Normally, on Sunday night, I "bulk up" on a carbohydrate-rich meal, hoping to store away enough energy for the coming day's prayers. This year, I "accidentally" prepared the "normal" low-calorie, low carb meals that have been mandated by the doctor to control my diabetes. By 11:00PM Sunday night, I was already hungry. That's not good news, considering the fast would go until Monday evening at 8:40PM. My biggest hunger pangs came around 7:00AM and 2:00PM on Monday. Then the headache set in. A dull ache that would stay with me throughout the afternoon and evening, and would interfere with my enjoyment of the after-fast family gathering.
During that Monday in shul, I realized how important religious observance is to me (that's not to say I'm completely observant, just that when I am observant, it really feels good). I found myself immersed in the text of the prayer book, following each word - sometimes straining against the background noise of people who were chatting with friends they hadn't seen since the previous year's services.
Catching up - Part I
I've been finding "real life" quite hectic lately, to the point where this space has been ignored. But I see from my viewing history that there are still friends and family that return regularly for updates and they are also entitled to be kept up to date.
Sunday evening was the start of the Yom Kippur observance. I think that this year's spiritual reawakening may have something to do with the fact that my parents are aging, and beginning to complain about their aches and pains. It's gotten to the point where, for the first time, I'm not taking their continued existence for granted. My dad is 82, my mom, a few years younger. I consider myself lucky, at the age of 50, to still have both my parents. Sitting in the synagogue, playing the games we used to play in my childhood (interlocking his fingers with mine, comparing hand sizes, administering discreet therapeutic back massage during the boring sermons), it occured to both of us that these memories were still fresh, pure, and liberating. For the hours on Sunday and Monday, I actually forgot that my house is a wreck, and I'm unemployed. For those hours, I was a little boy again, sitting in shul with my father, and celebrating my Jewish heritage.
I've been finding "real life" quite hectic lately, to the point where this space has been ignored. But I see from my viewing history that there are still friends and family that return regularly for updates and they are also entitled to be kept up to date.
Sunday evening was the start of the Yom Kippur observance. I think that this year's spiritual reawakening may have something to do with the fact that my parents are aging, and beginning to complain about their aches and pains. It's gotten to the point where, for the first time, I'm not taking their continued existence for granted. My dad is 82, my mom, a few years younger. I consider myself lucky, at the age of 50, to still have both my parents. Sitting in the synagogue, playing the games we used to play in my childhood (interlocking his fingers with mine, comparing hand sizes, administering discreet therapeutic back massage during the boring sermons), it occured to both of us that these memories were still fresh, pure, and liberating. For the hours on Sunday and Monday, I actually forgot that my house is a wreck, and I'm unemployed. For those hours, I was a little boy again, sitting in shul with my father, and celebrating my Jewish heritage.
Saturday, September 14, 2002
Random Thoughts
on Chrysler
My hometown is/was considered the Automotive Capital of Canada. Sure, it was easier to claim that title in the 60s and 70s, when Chrysler's world headquarters was located here, and each of the "Big-3" had massive numbers of plants in the area. Our economy is still very much dependent on the auto industry, though there is some diversification into feeder industries (tool and die, as well as chemical). Perhaps we will reclaim that moniker with the completion of Chrysler Canada's new headquarters.
on BASF
One of the secondary businesses located here is BASF. They own a large paint manufacturing plant here. After reading about the "accident" at a BASF plant in Texas, it leaves me wondering whether security will be heightened here.
on terrorism
Now, there's talk of an al-Qaida affiliated terrorist cell discovered in upstate New York. The discovery of this cell was linked to the recent upgrade in the nation's terrorist alert status. I'm wondering whether this has anything to do with information being supplied by John Lindh as part of his plea agreement.
on friendly-fire accidents
Now they're talking about trying the pilots who bombed a contingent of Canadians who were training in Afghanistan. Four soldiers died. This accident was a classic case of screwed up planning, but clearly, had the pilots known those tiny dots of light were being fired by friendly forces, they would not have attacked. In typical Canadian form, the family members of the dead have indicated they do NOT wish to see the American pilots prosecuted. They simply want administrative procedures improved to avoid future accidents.
on the West Nile virus in Canada
The West Nile Virus made it to Canada last year. Ours was the first community affected. Now, it makes sense that, a year later, ours is one of the worst-hit.
on Chrysler
My hometown is/was considered the Automotive Capital of Canada. Sure, it was easier to claim that title in the 60s and 70s, when Chrysler's world headquarters was located here, and each of the "Big-3" had massive numbers of plants in the area. Our economy is still very much dependent on the auto industry, though there is some diversification into feeder industries (tool and die, as well as chemical). Perhaps we will reclaim that moniker with the completion of Chrysler Canada's new headquarters.
on BASF
One of the secondary businesses located here is BASF. They own a large paint manufacturing plant here. After reading about the "accident" at a BASF plant in Texas, it leaves me wondering whether security will be heightened here.
on terrorism
Now, there's talk of an al-Qaida affiliated terrorist cell discovered in upstate New York. The discovery of this cell was linked to the recent upgrade in the nation's terrorist alert status. I'm wondering whether this has anything to do with information being supplied by John Lindh as part of his plea agreement.
on friendly-fire accidents
Now they're talking about trying the pilots who bombed a contingent of Canadians who were training in Afghanistan. Four soldiers died. This accident was a classic case of screwed up planning, but clearly, had the pilots known those tiny dots of light were being fired by friendly forces, they would not have attacked. In typical Canadian form, the family members of the dead have indicated they do NOT wish to see the American pilots prosecuted. They simply want administrative procedures improved to avoid future accidents.
on the West Nile virus in Canada
The West Nile Virus made it to Canada last year. Ours was the first community affected. Now, it makes sense that, a year later, ours is one of the worst-hit.
Dream Cruise
Have you ever been on one of those romantic cruises you see advertised on TV? You know the one... where everyone onboard is a covergirl model and you can eat 24 hours a day while still losing weight. I've never been on one of those cruises, but once in a while, when I allow my fantasies to take over, I imagine myself there...
I've always been very much an anti-social nerd (you know, the kind that never gets the girl), so when I dream about going on a cruise, it goes something like this...
Thanks to Jodi for pointing out this site.
Have you ever been on one of those romantic cruises you see advertised on TV? You know the one... where everyone onboard is a covergirl model and you can eat 24 hours a day while still losing weight. I've never been on one of those cruises, but once in a while, when I allow my fantasies to take over, I imagine myself there...
I've always been very much an anti-social nerd (you know, the kind that never gets the girl), so when I dream about going on a cruise, it goes something like this...
Thanks to Jodi for pointing out this site.
Friday, September 13, 2002
Three men and a lady
So, have you heard the one about the three men who were stopped in Florida after a woman in a restaurant overheard them talking about possible terrorist activity on Sept. 13th?
Well, it turns out the whole thing might have been a hoax, perpetrated by the three men in response to suspicious looks they were getting from another patron in the restaurant. So here's my question... will they still be prosecuted? Political correctness indicates they shouldn't, as it would simply reinforce the profiling stereotype for people of middle-eastern descent. But there are laws against screaming "FIRE" in a crowded theatre, and alluding to terrorist threats like this in a public forum must be akin to the former offence.
Hoax aside, I am trying to come to grips with ALL the prior news reports that claim that bomb-sniffing dogs, called to the scene where the men were detained, reported positive hits on both vehicles!
Does that mean that the overzealous press contributed to this fiasco by reporting false information about the dogs? Or is there more to this story that has not yet surfaced. If there truly was no trace of explosive material, does that mean that the dogs can be "tricked" into registering false-positive indications, perhaps in response to the scent of fear or apprehension or (God forbid) culture-specific odours present in the vehicles?
This last point seems repugnant to imagine - that dogs might be doing their own form of "profiling". Let me share a short, loosely-related story... Prior to buying our house, my wife and I had occasion to visit several open houses. The homes were generally clean, with no clue as to the types of food normally consumed or the origin of the occupants (who were absent during the viewings). Yet, in a couple of homes owned by Indian (i.e. people from India) families, there was a distinct odour of curry in the home. Since there was no visible food, I had to assume the odour came from the carpeting, furniture, or other fabric that retained the scent. So, back to the dogs... Might it be possible that the dogs were reacting to a scent in the car's fabric that, while not being "explosive material" per se, may have been reminiscent of scents that were present in other vehicles where explosive material had been located?
I guess it's time to start training police dogs to be more politically correct!
So, have you heard the one about the three men who were stopped in Florida after a woman in a restaurant overheard them talking about possible terrorist activity on Sept. 13th?
Well, it turns out the whole thing might have been a hoax, perpetrated by the three men in response to suspicious looks they were getting from another patron in the restaurant. So here's my question... will they still be prosecuted? Political correctness indicates they shouldn't, as it would simply reinforce the profiling stereotype for people of middle-eastern descent. But there are laws against screaming "FIRE" in a crowded theatre, and alluding to terrorist threats like this in a public forum must be akin to the former offence.
Hoax aside, I am trying to come to grips with ALL the prior news reports that claim that bomb-sniffing dogs, called to the scene where the men were detained, reported positive hits on both vehicles!
Does that mean that the overzealous press contributed to this fiasco by reporting false information about the dogs? Or is there more to this story that has not yet surfaced. If there truly was no trace of explosive material, does that mean that the dogs can be "tricked" into registering false-positive indications, perhaps in response to the scent of fear or apprehension or (God forbid) culture-specific odours present in the vehicles?
This last point seems repugnant to imagine - that dogs might be doing their own form of "profiling". Let me share a short, loosely-related story... Prior to buying our house, my wife and I had occasion to visit several open houses. The homes were generally clean, with no clue as to the types of food normally consumed or the origin of the occupants (who were absent during the viewings). Yet, in a couple of homes owned by Indian (i.e. people from India) families, there was a distinct odour of curry in the home. Since there was no visible food, I had to assume the odour came from the carpeting, furniture, or other fabric that retained the scent. So, back to the dogs... Might it be possible that the dogs were reacting to a scent in the car's fabric that, while not being "explosive material" per se, may have been reminiscent of scents that were present in other vehicles where explosive material had been located?
I guess it's time to start training police dogs to be more politically correct!
More on 9/11
So I'm watching the Tonight Show on 9/11 and Jay's guests are Senator McCain and actor James Woods. The last time James Woods was a guest on the Tonight Show, Leno tried to ask him questions about a rumour (confirmed by Woods) that the FBI had been talking to him about something. Woods would not elaborate at that time.
This time, Leno asked again, and Woods was in a position to answer his questions...
It seems that James Woods was a passenger on an airline flight a couple of months BEFORE 9/11/01. On that flight, he noticed four suspicious-looking people of middle eastern background. They looked so suspicious to him, in fact, that he feared a hijack attempt and decided to KEEP the knife that was put on his dinner plate. Furthermore, he reported the suspicious persons to one of the flight crew. Supposedly, the standard paperwork was filed with the FAA, and the report (which was indistinguishable from all the other nonsense reports that get filed by passengers every day) went unnoticed.
After 9/11, when the FBI learned of Woods report, they interviewed him. At that time, he was able to confirm by picture identification that TWO of the people on his flight were among the 19 hijackers who died. Speculation was that Wood's flight was a dry-run to case the plane, the flight procedures, etc. The post-9/11 paranoia of passengers is understandable. But, prior to 9/11, can you imagine just how blatantly dangerous these people must have appeared to arouse the suspicions of a well-known person who would obviously not wish to appear paranoid in public?
And, earlier that day, Tom Brokaw aired a documentary about the air controllers who were the first to realize that planes had been hijacked and that something terrible was about to happen. During that special, it was mentioned that nearly 5000 planes were IN THE AIR over North America at the time of the four crashes, and the air controllers brought them to the ground so quickly, it was impossible to determine whether any of them had also been intended as missiles of terror. The implication is that some terrorists had been foiled by this quick action, but that they are still alive and able to carry out future plans.
And finally, how freaky is it that the New York lottery 3-digit pick of the day was 9-1-1. There were 15,000 people who decided to play that number on the anniversary of 9/11, and they shared a $5,000,000 dollar purse.
So I'm watching the Tonight Show on 9/11 and Jay's guests are Senator McCain and actor James Woods. The last time James Woods was a guest on the Tonight Show, Leno tried to ask him questions about a rumour (confirmed by Woods) that the FBI had been talking to him about something. Woods would not elaborate at that time.
This time, Leno asked again, and Woods was in a position to answer his questions...
It seems that James Woods was a passenger on an airline flight a couple of months BEFORE 9/11/01. On that flight, he noticed four suspicious-looking people of middle eastern background. They looked so suspicious to him, in fact, that he feared a hijack attempt and decided to KEEP the knife that was put on his dinner plate. Furthermore, he reported the suspicious persons to one of the flight crew. Supposedly, the standard paperwork was filed with the FAA, and the report (which was indistinguishable from all the other nonsense reports that get filed by passengers every day) went unnoticed.
After 9/11, when the FBI learned of Woods report, they interviewed him. At that time, he was able to confirm by picture identification that TWO of the people on his flight were among the 19 hijackers who died. Speculation was that Wood's flight was a dry-run to case the plane, the flight procedures, etc. The post-9/11 paranoia of passengers is understandable. But, prior to 9/11, can you imagine just how blatantly dangerous these people must have appeared to arouse the suspicions of a well-known person who would obviously not wish to appear paranoid in public?
And, earlier that day, Tom Brokaw aired a documentary about the air controllers who were the first to realize that planes had been hijacked and that something terrible was about to happen. During that special, it was mentioned that nearly 5000 planes were IN THE AIR over North America at the time of the four crashes, and the air controllers brought them to the ground so quickly, it was impossible to determine whether any of them had also been intended as missiles of terror. The implication is that some terrorists had been foiled by this quick action, but that they are still alive and able to carry out future plans.
And finally, how freaky is it that the New York lottery 3-digit pick of the day was 9-1-1. There were 15,000 people who decided to play that number on the anniversary of 9/11, and they shared a $5,000,000 dollar purse.
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Sunday, September 08, 2002
Rosh Hashana - Day 2
I had insomnia last night. I finally got to sleep around 4:30AM, but woke up at 8:00AM when my wife woke up. I wanted to go back to bed for an hour before getting ready for my dad. He was due to pick me up at 10:00AM for shul. When I woke up, it was 9:55AM! I hurried to throw on a pair of pants and shirt, and quickly sponged off my face to get out the cobwebs. When my dad arrived at the door at 10:02AM, I was ready to go.
It was another good day at shul, very much a continuation of yesterday. There were fewer people than yesterday, but I still felt like I was "home". The high-holidays are traditionally the time when Jewish people are bombarded with messages about charity (specifically the UJA campaign in support of Jewish activities here and in Israel). And, for the first time, there were pamphlets available for the taking. They were published by the Canadian-Israel Committee and contained background information concerning the current situation being played out in Israel. Perhaps this year, I will become a bit more politically active, but the high-holidays is not the time to start.
After the service, I again was taken back to my parents' house, where I was again treated to a meal (though not of the same proportions as yesterday's). My dad was very sleepy after the meal, so my mom ended up driving me home. I got home to an empty household, and am taking the time to post this now, before my wife returns.
I had insomnia last night. I finally got to sleep around 4:30AM, but woke up at 8:00AM when my wife woke up. I wanted to go back to bed for an hour before getting ready for my dad. He was due to pick me up at 10:00AM for shul. When I woke up, it was 9:55AM! I hurried to throw on a pair of pants and shirt, and quickly sponged off my face to get out the cobwebs. When my dad arrived at the door at 10:02AM, I was ready to go.
It was another good day at shul, very much a continuation of yesterday. There were fewer people than yesterday, but I still felt like I was "home". The high-holidays are traditionally the time when Jewish people are bombarded with messages about charity (specifically the UJA campaign in support of Jewish activities here and in Israel). And, for the first time, there were pamphlets available for the taking. They were published by the Canadian-Israel Committee and contained background information concerning the current situation being played out in Israel. Perhaps this year, I will become a bit more politically active, but the high-holidays is not the time to start.
After the service, I again was taken back to my parents' house, where I was again treated to a meal (though not of the same proportions as yesterday's). My dad was very sleepy after the meal, so my mom ended up driving me home. I got home to an empty household, and am taking the time to post this now, before my wife returns.
A spiritual day
I had decided to go to shul this year for the high holidays, even before my sister suggested it. Seems she and her husband were going to be out of town this weekend, and they were hoping I could accompany my father. He came around to pick me up this morning, and it was the start of a marvelous day.
I could tell my dad was happy that I had decided to worship. Growing up, I had been quite devout. After my failed first marriage, I lost faith in my religion for quite some time, and had stayed away from synagogue in protest (yeah, I guess I really showed Him who was boss). It's important to note that I have always felt spiritually Jewish, and throughout this difficult period of my life, I still followed through on the trappings of Judaism (kept kosher to the degree I was comfortable doing it, etc.)... I simply refused to set foot in a synagogue.
All that changed several years ago, and for a period of almost two years, I was going to shul regularly (every sabbath, as well as holidays). Then, just as suddenly as I had started going, I stopped again. I think that was about four years ago. Today was my first time in a synagogue since that time.
It's like I had never left. Everyone took the time to say hello, greeting me in a friendly, non-judgemental way. The regular chazan nodded his hello, and I joked with him: So, where have you been all this time. There were also a couple of fairly well-known people with roots in Windsor who were in town, attending shul with their fathers. I had known them in my youth but had not stayed in touch. I was surprised they remembered me, and came by to say hello.
My father and I played a game where we each hold up our hand and place our palms together. He was thrilled to see that this time, it was my hand that was the bigger of the two. As I affectionately put my arm around him and rubbed his back, I could see him smiling with love and pride. What a wonderful way to start the new year!
When the service was over, he drove me to his house, where my mother was waiting to greet me with open arms. And she had prepared a feast fit for a king. It's been years since I've had her matzoh-ball soup. I swear, of all the soups I've ever tasted, there is none to compare to hers. I hope she's passed the secrets of that recipe on to my sisters, because it would be a shame for it to be lost for eternity - it's that good!
I wished I could have stayed longer, but I really wanted to get back to my wife, to tell her about how wonderful my day had gone, and to prepare for an evening with my brother-in-law and his wife, whom we had not seen since before we moved. They're really nice people, and I looked forward to seeing them. We ate dinner with them (as a bonus, my step-son came too); then went back to our house to watch a DVD. And when the DVD was finished, we turned on a movie on cable
On Sunday, I go back for Rosh Hashana - day 2 - with my dad. I'm looking forward to it.
I had decided to go to shul this year for the high holidays, even before my sister suggested it. Seems she and her husband were going to be out of town this weekend, and they were hoping I could accompany my father. He came around to pick me up this morning, and it was the start of a marvelous day.
I could tell my dad was happy that I had decided to worship. Growing up, I had been quite devout. After my failed first marriage, I lost faith in my religion for quite some time, and had stayed away from synagogue in protest (yeah, I guess I really showed Him who was boss). It's important to note that I have always felt spiritually Jewish, and throughout this difficult period of my life, I still followed through on the trappings of Judaism (kept kosher to the degree I was comfortable doing it, etc.)... I simply refused to set foot in a synagogue.
All that changed several years ago, and for a period of almost two years, I was going to shul regularly (every sabbath, as well as holidays). Then, just as suddenly as I had started going, I stopped again. I think that was about four years ago. Today was my first time in a synagogue since that time.
It's like I had never left. Everyone took the time to say hello, greeting me in a friendly, non-judgemental way. The regular chazan nodded his hello, and I joked with him: So, where have you been all this time. There were also a couple of fairly well-known people with roots in Windsor who were in town, attending shul with their fathers. I had known them in my youth but had not stayed in touch. I was surprised they remembered me, and came by to say hello.
My father and I played a game where we each hold up our hand and place our palms together. He was thrilled to see that this time, it was my hand that was the bigger of the two. As I affectionately put my arm around him and rubbed his back, I could see him smiling with love and pride. What a wonderful way to start the new year!
When the service was over, he drove me to his house, where my mother was waiting to greet me with open arms. And she had prepared a feast fit for a king. It's been years since I've had her matzoh-ball soup. I swear, of all the soups I've ever tasted, there is none to compare to hers. I hope she's passed the secrets of that recipe on to my sisters, because it would be a shame for it to be lost for eternity - it's that good!
I wished I could have stayed longer, but I really wanted to get back to my wife, to tell her about how wonderful my day had gone, and to prepare for an evening with my brother-in-law and his wife, whom we had not seen since before we moved. They're really nice people, and I looked forward to seeing them. We ate dinner with them (as a bonus, my step-son came too); then went back to our house to watch a DVD. And when the DVD was finished, we turned on a movie on cable
On Sunday, I go back for Rosh Hashana - day 2 - with my dad. I'm looking forward to it.
Friday, September 06, 2002
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to my family and Jewish friends. This is one year when I will need to ask forgiveness for all the selfish, hateful, and angry feelings I''ve expressed throughout the past 12 months. I could try to blame it on stress, but that would be copping out. I've just been less human this year than usual, and I will strive to make some changes in the year to come.
Happy New Year to my family and Jewish friends. This is one year when I will need to ask forgiveness for all the selfish, hateful, and angry feelings I''ve expressed throughout the past 12 months. I could try to blame it on stress, but that would be copping out. I've just been less human this year than usual, and I will strive to make some changes in the year to come.
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
Things we take for granted
I showered last night - for the first time in nearly two weeks. I also flushed the toilet three times. That's three times more than I had been able to flush over the long weekend. The plumber was here yesterday, soon followed by the electric eel. Nearly $500 later, we have working plumbing; but we've been warned that the eeling was only a temporary fix. There are tree roots in our drainage system, and it won't take long for the problems to reoccur. At least we have some breathing room and a clean shower stall!
I showered last night - for the first time in nearly two weeks. I also flushed the toilet three times. That's three times more than I had been able to flush over the long weekend. The plumber was here yesterday, soon followed by the electric eel. Nearly $500 later, we have working plumbing; but we've been warned that the eeling was only a temporary fix. There are tree roots in our drainage system, and it won't take long for the problems to reoccur. At least we have some breathing room and a clean shower stall!
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
Turning point
Today should mark a turning point in our experiences with the new home. The holiday weekend having ended, I have been able to again contact the plumber that examined our plumbing last week. This afternoon, he will work his magic - creating an access portal in the plumbing that will allow us to eel our local plumbing. Only then will we know whether our problems are even more severe. As far as any changes to the property (to add outdoor cleanouts), my lawyer has advised that most times, the previous owners of a property will try to side-step responsibility for issues like we are experiencing.
I have a very comprehensive (and very gross) collection of photographs that I would be prepared to take to small claims court, should it get that far.
Today should mark a turning point in our experiences with the new home. The holiday weekend having ended, I have been able to again contact the plumber that examined our plumbing last week. This afternoon, he will work his magic - creating an access portal in the plumbing that will allow us to eel our local plumbing. Only then will we know whether our problems are even more severe. As far as any changes to the property (to add outdoor cleanouts), my lawyer has advised that most times, the previous owners of a property will try to side-step responsibility for issues like we are experiencing.
I have a very comprehensive (and very gross) collection of photographs that I would be prepared to take to small claims court, should it get that far.