TwoBlog

In our little pine tree right outside the front door and in front of the porch, a robin got courageous enough to build a nest and lay four little blue eggs. Sonia and Olivia had been watching the nest for over a week to see what would happen. The parents were quite distressed about this early on but everyone has retreated into a mutual wariness that has allowed us to get a close up view of the robin parenting world.

Yesterday, by evening, 3 of the 4 eggs had hatched and we were able to witness the very early moments of baby robins. This is a first for all of us to see such a moment. They are very, very small, no larger than from the tip of your thumb to the first knuckle. Their eyes are unopened, their beaks are tiny, and they are comprised of mostly a head….a head that pops up in the air with beak wide open and thrusting out for food whenever there is movement close by. An extremely powerful instinct.

We’re anxious to see if the 4th egg will hatch and then watching the family grow inside their tiny nest. I will be interested to see how they manage in such a small space and how quickly it will be before the babies are booted out of the home. Food for thought on how I’ll be planning to get my baby robins out of our nest.

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I’m so lazy…..or maybe it’s because we invested all our savings into finishing the basement. Well, almost finishing the basement. The flooring has been delayed for several weeks now due to the backorder dillemma that this ‘recession’ has caused. Once the floor’s in I’ll write up a nice post about the trials and tribulations of finishing a home in my neck of the woods, and the dealings with building inspectors.

Last Friday, on the eve of Christiens ‘8th month day’, he pulled himself to standing without other human assistance. Since his 2nd or 3rd month he’s always been an upright little guy, wanting to stand, walk or jump at every opportunity. So, he has had strong legs for quite some time, and coupled with his light weight, he’s been ‘EXTREMELY’ active since the get-go. So, now with this new-found confidence and his ability to crawl/scuttle very quickly, last Friday marks the end of being able to sit and watch him roll around in relative safety. Now, it’s on to constant observation and minimal rest.

We went to the Jays game last Saturday without Christien. It was a long time coming for Olivia to spend time alone with Sonia and I. She is excellent when it comes to sharing her time with Christien, and honestly I know his need for the lion’s share of attention has made me feel quite guilty and am quite sad when I look back over the last few months at the times where she obviously felt a little neglected. And I openly apologize for this. It is getting better now that he’s older and I’m very happy to be sharing my time more equally with both of them. The good news is that we still have our bond of making up our own songs and also singing along with our favourites in the car (some new ones: Solid Rock (Dire Straits), Match the Sun (Jane’s Addiction)).

Anyway, not much new here. Life moves on at work, spending a lot of time cleaning up around the house. Not really any noteworthy observations on a global scale lately….except that my theory of Obama is coming to fruition. Now that the honeymoon is over, he does seem a little more human and unexciting these days, doesn’t he? And a fun little tidbit: In the first 100 days of his presidency, he has spent more money than ALL OTHER PRESIDENTS COMBINED! That includes Monkey-Face.

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I’m sad: Olivia has such a great memory and can recall names that I give her toys and her imaginary friends that I have long forgotten. And she remembers them with ease. Names like “Tooth-o” for the rubber whale. I can’t even remember naming him. I fear that these names will someday fade into the past and we’ll both forget them as we get older. Soooo, here’s some names I don’t want to forget:

Tootho
Chewie
Mookie
Roary
Ring-Rong
Snow
Smile-co
Blorgensday
(more to come as I remember them)….

There are songs that I play often in the car. It didn’t dawn on me how much Olivia listens to them too. She can sing “Under the Waterfall” by James. She’s also often heard saying that she’s “Off to find the hero of the day”. And she somehow will use this in context. “Where you going Olivia?” “I’m off to find the Hero of the day!” (spoken matter-of-factly). Her music collection that she keeps in her head is vast and can be recalled at any moment.

She is non-stop singing and this bodes well. We’ve got her in a music class now and if her enthusiasm is any indication, we’re in for some fun recitals and auditions down the road.

Christien, meanwhile, has been figuring out how to crawl. He’s been working at it for well over a month now. Although it can be quite frustrating to have such a squirmy kid, it is exciting to have been seeing him rolling around and working his way across the floor for almost two months now. He hasn’t figured out the jolly jumper yet which leads to a workout on the arms since the substitute is to bounce him ourselves. It’s also been three months since we’ve been assisting him in his walking. I can’t believe he’s been trying to walk since he was 3 months old. As Sonia says: It’s like holding a puppy over water….the instincts kick in and they try doing the dog-paddle while still in your hands. When holding Christien above the floor, he immediately starts pumping his legs as if walking and has been doing this since very early on. And when his feet touch the ground he’s off to the races. And loving it. This is going to be a very mobile kid in contrast to the observant Olivia who early on was content to sit and figure things out.

Of course, OG is now also highly energetic. Which I think can account for Christien’s quick physical development. My friend Ian has 2 kids close in age and he told me the other day that his second one rapidly developed thanks to the older sister.

If it weren’t for Olivia, I don’t think Christien would have as many ants in his pants. She has as much influence, if not more, on the development of this child as we do.

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I admit this, it’s true. I do watch AI (American Idol), and am always somewhat disappointed. That’s a direct result of the fact that I’m a dud and love Echo, James, Roxy Music and the other *greats*

But tonight, there was this *Grand Ole Opry* night where the singers had to choose an *opry* like song. And lo’ and behold, 9 of the 10 chose to sing country style (nothing wrong with that).

But this one guy….I think his name is Adam…chose to sing J.C’s “Ring of Fire”. and Randy (Travis)? was ‘upset’ about the *eastern* flair. “I don’t know what to say about this boy” “That Johnny Cash arrangement thru me for a loop”. The best comment he made was “A great singer” dusted in with many *unusual* criticisms.

So anyway, Freakboy, I don’t think you watch this show, but if you ever get a hold of this guy’s rendition of “Ring Of Fire”, you will likely take Reznor’s rendition of this and shatter it into many many pieces. This is a mixture of The Darkness (One Way Ticket To Hell And Back) and The Tea Party. I can’t give it proper justice.

The only justice I can give it is that dunce girl was stupified, Simon Cowell was an idiot and Randy Jackson thought it was hot and *the bomb* — whom I think is the most qualified of the bunch.

So anyway, I know this guy won’t last (not that I care) but he is on my wavelength. And I say this: In my mind I know what I like and be that as it may, it’s a shame he has debased himself by going on this show. He is a singular talent that I would probably be buying many albums from….except that now he has reduced himself. I really hope he loses so he can go off and do what he’s meant to do.

Cheers buddy!

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Years ago the basement started out as a place where we stored old furniture and had laid down the old shag from upstairs. Think of it as a student’s living room: mismatched junk. No finished walls, exposed sump, etc. etc. One studded load-bearing wall to give semblance to a future finish.

Fast forward a couple years and an influx of furniture enters the scene: my brother moved to Bermuda and wasn’t able to bring much with him. We stored most things in the fruit cellar, but not the 36″ T.V. that I quickly hooked up with digital cable. Then, the Nintendo64 was brought down and the room began a transformation: Roach’s Last Resort! The place that was frequented mainly by myself.

Then, the weight equipment arrived and the far side of the basement that houses the laundry facilities becomes the workout area. Soon after, the dartboard goes up and Dan & I are doing our workouts again. The old shelf stereo goes up and we’re beginning to have a place where I can spend some serious time.

Another year passes and some ’sports-type’ paraphenelia works it’s way onto the concrete walls and studding. Then, a fridge appears! All of life’s amenities are within reach. My mecca has arrived.

Then the twist in the plan: Olivia. Things are fine for the 1st year. In fact, the Arcade machine is born and the basement becomes ‘the’ room for me. But soon, the toys. Oh, the toys. It was time for me to share the basement and that is the arrangement to this day.

But, the times they are a-changin’. We’ve got all the pieces in place, the contractors are hired and we’re finishing the basement! Photos to come, starting with the ‘before’ and then documenting the process to completion.

The first snag: we thought it prudent to get a permit due to the fact that we’re cutting into the load-bearing wall to produce an 8-foot entrance between the 2 rooms that will be finished. Much to the chagrin of the contractor. This may delay things slightly.

Lesson #1: don’t leave things to the last minute. Scrambling for electrician, A/V wiring, building permits makes things stressful.

Lesson #2: make sure you have a clear picture of what you want done. Once it’s done, it’s too late. That includes the pre-wiring for the future. Use the resources you’ve hired to help define what you want the finished product to be.

Lesson #3: Re-financing. Acquire 50% more funds than you think you’re going to use. Even if you don’t use them at least you’ve got them. We miscalculated the amt of coin we need and now will have to dig into alternative sources.

Lesson #4: Don’t compromise your dream. Especially if you plan to use the space for many years. That includes forgoing the drop-ceiling!

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OK people, please give Obama a chance to do ‘presidential’ stuff before anointing him God. I’ve got a massive headache from the press. Apparently everything Midas touches does turn to gold….even before he’s touched them.

I have great optimism that Obama will be an influential president and that ‘change’ is coming. And that has the potential to be a good thing. But I hope he’s patient and guarded in his decision-making when implementing change. Radical change is probably not the right move these days and perhaps he has the courage to implement change a little more subtly and with less fanfare. It seems to me that popularity is more important to him right now.

Anyway, I’ve got a 2-year evaluation period for Obama. During that time he needs to address the following:

- grow up from senator to president. He still ‘feels’ like a senator to me. A lot of talk to impress (and yes he is an impressive talker), but no baptism at this point.
- disassociate himself from ‘Hollywood’. He’s too interlocked with the ‘Royalty’ of America and that’s a stink he’s going to want to be rid of. Right now, I’m not convinced that he is immune to the influence of these types. I know Bush had a soft spot for the uber-wealthy fatcats and that cost the US dearly, but there are similar pitfalls to hobnobbing a little too closely with celebrity. Especially when it comes down to a president who advocates change. I’m curious to know if Obama is perhaps a little star-struck when it comes to his perception of the hollywood types…especially Bono. Oh, that meddling Bono.

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Oh, I forgot to mention one massively unforgettable item in my 20 words:

The government has granted Canadians the privilege to open a tax-free savings account where we can deposit $5000 a year. interest earned is tax free AND no penalties for withdrawls.

Now, if I read this correctly, if you grow your account above the $5000 in a year due to ROI, you are allowed to replenish the account to the highest level achieved. For example, if I deposit $5000 into super risky penny stocks that double in the first year to $10K you can now withdraw and replenish the account to the $10K amount. Then the next year you can add another $5K, etc. etc.

If this is indeed the case, in 20yrs you could have a tax free account that has a minimum of $100K. This is very, very, very sweet! With some aggressive work and some fortune (depending on how risky you go), that number could be even higher. You could have a nice little egg on top of your RRSP, Pension and other taxable investments. And this egg, you could pull off of the interest without ever having to worry about paying taxes.

So, continue to maximize your RRSP investments. But also make sure you tap in the 5K a year into your TFSA.

Now, here’s the bad, and I mean BAD news:

When (not if) in 10-15 years from now the government claws back on OHIP and we have to start footing most (or all) of our health bills, they can point to this bone they threw us and take the stance: “Hey, we gave you a wonderful opportunity to save your money for your health when we introduced the TFSA in 2009. Too bad if you didn’t have the foresight to anticipate this happening.” - OUCH, could the government be this ruthless?

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Yes, it’s been a long time. Life has passed by in a blur since September. With the addition of Christien, beyond the day-to-day efforts to give him a head start, it’s hard to do and see much beyond the joys of daily life.

So, 20 Words will pick up again as life gets just that little bit more flexible and provides us with more opportunities to do things outside the home. For now, here are some things I’ve recalled:

- Halloween 2008, Olivia’s 1st ‘true’ outing for candy. Mom went out, Dad stayed home to give out candy.
- November….can’t recall much there…Sonia, can you help? Other than OBAMA becoming the king of America.
- Christmas. See kids’ blogs for details. For me, I had some really nice gifts
- housecoat and slippers. The transition to Old Man Roach has begun. And lovin’ it! Slippers are so sweet on the feet
- guitar lessons. Yes my friends, it’s time to pick up a new hobby. One I have a good chance at succeeding
- no Wii Fit. But not for lack of trying by Sonia. By far the most popular game of xmas 2008
- gps. Garmin Nuvi 360w. It’s clear to me. This gift is the true indicator of the difference between men and women. Even though I know where I’m going 99.9% of the time, I still love seeing where I am! Sonia considers the toy to be simply static overhead.
- For new years ‘weekend’ we started off with a small party at home. Dave/Kirstin/Julien and Jay/Tina/Zach. Almost a cancellation when OG was showing signs of becoming sick. Lazy, quiet and with a slight fever. Her mood changed once she had friends to play with.
- followup skating on the river at Karla and Bill’s place Saturday. Olivia soon to upgrade fro bobskates to the real deal.
- our gift to ourselves - we took the parents’ gift money and bought ourselves a 15ft upright freezer. Time to dump the handout freezer donated by Chad those many years ago. Kijiji time!

Finally, on an ‘I told you so’ note, some entrepreneur stole my sure cash idea: open an ‘authentic’ mexican restaurant in the University Plaza. Now, their approach is more spartan ‘cafeteria/catering’ style, i.e. a mini-step up from fast food, but they certainly have the location down (across from the mongolian grill) to capture the students who walk by, the RIMerites and the various businesses in the area. The food is ‘average’ at best and the offerings are minimal as per their business plan I’m sure. Overhead is small. I hashed out the numbers that I think they’ll make and it would not have been enough for me to go this route…unless we had a couple of these operations.

Nope, the goal is still to open a mid-high scale authentic latino-mexican restaurant that goes above and beyond the taco/burrito level. And there’s still plenty of room for one of these in the area. Guacamole my friends, guacamole.

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1st off, I’ve got to laugh. I’m sure the new Brad Pitt extravaganza is an excellent movie and perhaps Academy Award worthy (which means blah to me). But correct me if I’m wrong: Didn’t Mork & Mindy introduce this whole ‘born old, die young’ notion with the character Mearth? And please, Brad Pitt can’t possibly hold a candle to the incomparable Jonathan Winters! This Benjamin Button flick had better be one hell of a comedy….

Anyway, I haven’t been blogging much these past months. At least on this site anyway (OG’s and Christien’s sites are somewhat more active). There are 2 reasons for this:
1. No time! With OG at 3yrs and Christien at 3mths, it’s hard for me to find the time. When there is time - I’d rather be sleeping.
2. Zombie-like lifestyle. In a sleep deprived state, it’s hard to keep up on what is happening in the real world. You know, the world beyond the doors of the house. My tracking of the news is disjointed at best and the ability to retain the facts and observations I wish to keep has diminished.

It is frustrating to have set aside my pencil and forgone my blogging over the last 4 or 5 months. When I look back at my site years from now there will be this void in the annals. Along with passing along observations, anecdotes, etc to outside readers, a personal goal for blogging is to be able to document what I was thinking and doing over my life and what influential and noteworthy things were going on over my history.

Which brings me to the problem. At the time something occurs in my life, I am quick to think ‘Hey, I should blog about this’. In fact, this happens a minimum of 4 times a day. What I end up doing at the end of the day is writing down thoughts and concepts on scraps of paper that are now accumulating on my desktop or jammed inside of my wallet. What often happens is that by the time I scribble down the ideas, I’ve undoubtedly missed many of them and the ones I do write down, enough time may have passed that I miss a little intricate detail that I wanted to convey.

I recall my friend Chris used to have a voice recorder that he used to log information. I wonder, does he still use this approach to retain his many thoughts throughout the day. If so, what is the best recording device to use? If he doesn’t use voice recording, how does he retain his ideas before putting pen to paper?

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On the coldest day of the year, the heater in the car doesn’t work. Oh Lord, why hast thou forsaken me?

Life revolves around the delicate balance of if and when to renew the vehicles in the household. In a duo-car home, the situation you want to have is to have one car that is ending its life while the other one is in its early years. This avoids the double-whammy.

Circumstances such as opportunities can arise that place both vehicles on the same life-track. We are in this situation, albeit a little bit to our surprise.

The ‘97 CRV is nearing its demise. However, it is still a reliable vehicle and has little maintenance requirements other than the standard upkeep for aged vehicles. The yearly upkeep however is still well below the annual cost of a new vehicle (either leased or owned). Note: the CRV has racked up 255,000 KMs. I truly believe this vehicle could go to 500,000. Yet, this may be the year to trade the bad boy in before something does go wrong.

The ‘00 Accord is in ‘mid-life’ and our expectation is to keep this vehicle for another 4-5 years. Thus, we are on the alternating life-cycle plan. But there is a kink in the execution of the plan. We’ve had to replace the transmission already, and now the heater is blown….which likely means there is some sort of coolant leak somewhere. It appears we are averaging about 1 additional trip to the mechanic beyond the standard maintenance trips. This introduces uncertainty and an additional cost that is approaching the annual cost of a new and more reliable vehicle. However, the plan is to stay the course.

The twist to the strategy is when to strike into the new car (or slightly used) market? With the changing technologies with electric cars, etc, is it more prudent to wait 1 or more years to let some of this stuff unfold and come down in price? If we hit the market early before some of the technology plays out would we be investing and wasting $$ on the current archaic technology?

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