Christmas

Being that time of year again, I loaded the family up; Griswold style and headed out west to find the family Christmas tree.  I am extremely fussy, but in a good way.  The tree has to be cut from an area where the tree is destined for removal, either under a transmission line, or pipeline or road right of way.  My wife with her infinite patience seems to put up with my fascination with finding the perfect tree cut from the perfectly environmentally sound location.  It can be a bit of a gong show, but then again when I find myself walking through the snow, temperature just below zero, axe over my shoulder, snow gently falling while tugging two laughing boys in a toboggan  through the pines, I am at peace.  This is my favourite day in the time leading up to Christmas.

The tree like every year will be pulled halfway through the door before I realize that indeed the time continuum has been maintained, but space has continued to remain constant during Christmas and a 14 foot tree still won’t fit in a 10 foot six ceiling. And after cutting it down three times and ramming it through the tiny door, there will be a pile of needles on the carpet representing the great pine massacre of 2012. The tree stand will leak dirty water all over the carpet like every year before and the cat will pull down a good portion of the ornaments.  The string of lights will go on the fritz resulting in a fugitive like hunt for the 1 cent bulb that will cause me to throw away the entire string in frustration.  The tree will fall over at least two times leaving a nice layer of sap on the adjacent couch.

But when it is all over, and I admire the glistening beauty while the record player skips through White Christmas on grainy Bing Crosby vinal, the Christmas endorphins will erase the bad memories from my brain and prime me for the next year of Christmas cheer.

So to everyone, have a great Christmas and New year!  We pray for many blessings on your households.

From the Krebs’

Water ain't got nothing on this fish.

First off, thanks for the comments on the previous blog. Now on to what happened last week.

I had chewed my fingers to bleeding nubs in anticipation of this day.  Alternatively I let my toenails grow extra long to help my chances of success.  I took the balloons out of my shorts though, because that just looked ridiculous.  Today was ripe for tackling my personal goal of front crawl 5 lengths of the pool.

For those that don’t know, I swim like a shot put.  I have good technique from countless lessons but panic with the breathing end of it.  It is completely an irrational mind game that has plagued me for years. 

Practice, Practice Practice, that is how you master anything right? Wrong!  I tackled this challenge completely differently this time.  Practice over the last thirty something years obviously was not the key to success, so I changed strategies....finally.

Here is what I did.  I wrote down what went on in my head when I try to exhale under water and dissected what happens as a result to my body.  Tense muscles, shallow breathing, exhaustion, light headedness, constriction of the throat, and so on.  I then wrote down five strategies, some of which were a result of Kung Fu training.  Some targeted mind focus, others targeted body control, some ideas from fellow students and took these strategies to the pool.

Well I got through lap one, and by jiminy, if I can do one, I can do more.  I am happy to say this is one personal goal that now receives the old check off.

Up until that day I had never completed a single length of front crawl.  This was big success, and by the time I left the pool, I had chalked up 22 lengths of front crawl, and will be looking at using swimming as a part of my exercise regime following more strategies and practice.

Where's Waldo?

I was always amazed at how some skinny dude in a white and red sweater and goofy tuque could get lost in the crowd so often.  You know he’s there, but you just don’t see him.  You would think he would know better than to hang out in an environment with so much red and white.  Then again, maybe he doesn’t want to be found.

That is the only way I can explain my disappearance for the last couple weeks.  I came off work and prepared for the transition to be home regularly for the next couple months.  I returned to class, settled into the home routine.  Focus changed from stress, cell phone, computer, reports, to just getting home, completing more tangible and more important matters like spending time with family.  My email and cell phone got checked as regularly as a lunar landing. I dropped off the map for a bit.  And it was good.  I was able to take in some classes, (even a demo practice) and start into the transition of home life again.  Getting lost from the digital world for awhile seems like a weird thing for a fella that has been away for the better part of 6 months, but that disappearance was what I needed.

With work out of the way temporarily, I foolishly thought this may be an opportunity to make a commitment to something.  Take off the red and white sweater, the black rimmed glasses and show my face again.  Wrong... work come up, and off I go for another three weeks, I guess I am destined to the road commitments (Those goals that can be achieved from afar and away from the team). 

Hope to see you all soon and preferably before Christmas.

Sihing Out.