New with me

It's been a long time since my last post so I think I'll try and get people up to date with my current efforts to live a full life.

You know, I am happier now than I was a year ago. And at that time I was counting the days until my wedding. It seems as though life can't get better and yet somehow I know it will. I feel like I have become and incurable optimist. And to the point:
I was out in a canoe with my friends Brad and Phil. We had paddled to Lake Utopia, through the Magaguadavic River and Canal basically on my orders. I had persuaded the guys that it would be a good idea. Sure there was a strong wind blowing toward the lake and paddling back might be tough but at least we'd get to swim in the lake. The funny thing was that when we got there, the swells were white-capped on the lake because of the high winds and it was impossible to paddle. The canoe was reeling from the waves. One of the guys asked whose bright idea it was to come all the way out to the lake. The other said that it was because of my blind optimism. But of course, everything will be fine, it would be fine and it was. We turned around and had a great swim in the canal. Then someone wanted to get back in the boat and paddle, but it was my suggestion that we just swim and push the boat. "We won't get anywhere," was the consensus of the other two, but my reply was simple. "Sure we will. Watch!" And I pushed the canoe and swam after it. Brad said that it might be possible, just because I could 'Tony Horton' it up the river and use my optimism to push it. He was right. I did push it up river. For maybe 100 feet. Then w got in and paddled back.

I have to laugh because I knew we couldn't swim it all the way back, but I wanted to at least try pushing the canoe while swimming, just to see how far we could get. And we accomplished something. And the more I think about it. That is what this blog is all about. Accomplishing something. It doesn't have to be something huge. But as long as you are going out there and getting things done, then you are living fully. You are DOING. That is the important thing. Sometimes I'm afraid that if I sit at home on the couch then I am missing out. There is a whole world of things going on and if I sit at home I'm not a part of it. That kinda scares me. I worry that my friends are having fun without me. I worry that the world is doing great things while I sit on upholstered furniture and watch reruns. I would rather be rerunning the trail I found earlier. Don't get me wrong, I love TV and I am a movie fanatic. But with so much to do in life and so little time to do it. Why waste a moment?
With that thought, here are some thing I've done lately:

Went to New York for the 3rd time. Saw Dustin Diamond outside a comedy club, after talking about him on the trip down. How weird? When do 4 people ever mention Dustin Diamond while on a road trip? Stood at the top of Rockefeller Center and saw the Empire State Building and Central Park at the same time. That was the tallest building I've ever been in. I saw Daniel Radcliffe in person as he performed in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". I ran 11km in Central Park one day. Then the next day I ran 6km through Central Park during the biggest and most humbling thunder and lightning storm I've ever been in. I was in the middle of it. The rain sheeting down and flooding the street in minutes. I smiled, laughed and ran while the sky lit up around me and in front of me. My vision went perfectly white a couple of times from the brightness and closeness of the flashes. But what could I do? Stop? Go where? So I kept running and laughing as I experienced nature at it's most primal. I one of the greatest cities of the world, I was surrounded and engulfed by nature. It was one of the best moments of my life.

Before you read this next section... We are keeping this part of our life free of faccebook. So if you would like to comment, feel free on this blog page. We are going off facebook for this... So, sorry. My wife is pregnant. We are expecting our first child. I want to say publicly that I pray to God that our baby is born healthy. Boy or girl, it won't matter. Please... healthy. We have been lucky so far. We conceived on our second month of trying and it feels like a blessing. I know that it is. People can wait much longer, or suffer through the effort only to find themselves unable to conceive. So we are happy and feel the blessing that this is. Today we did our first browsing of baby furniture and I have to say that it made me truly happy to be looking at cribs. I just need to find a place for it in the house. Guest room? Man-cave? Which will be gone? Vote on it if you like.

I am preparing to run a half-marathon and it is going well. I feel like I will be well prepared. But with that said, I haven't really been following my training plan. I've just been keeping really active and doing what I think feels right. I hope my sister is up for the challenge. We are supposed to run together.


A chapter in my life has come to an end. I have seen the final Harry Potter movie and it was great. It wasn't as close to the book as I would have liked but it was enjoyable. That is all I will say about that. I first came to read the books when I met my wife. She introduced Harry and I and we have been fast friends ever since.

There is another chapter in my life that has resumed as well. The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin has seen the release of its latest volume. Book 5: A Dance with Dragons. I have waited 6 years for the book I think and I'm glad that's over. Phew.

I am reading more. The most in my life actually. I'm keeping track of each book I read this year on facebook, in my info. And it's surprising how quickly they mount up.

That is about it. If I think of more I'll let you know.