2009 a year in review - part one · Monday December 28, 2009 by colin newell
One of the more challenging aspects of wrapping up a year is getting a sense of what the heck it was all about; summing up the highs and lows and moving forward with a sense of closure and anticipation of growth and evolution.
2009 was difficult in light of some of the deeply personal challenges that arrived at our feet (many of which we are still unraveling) and utterly brilliant in the number of bright and shiny doors that opened.
Photo right – Given the opportunity to write for EAT Magazine on a monthly basis has opened doors… and menus!
And the thing that is most ironic or perhaps eloquent or even bittersweet is that you can experience tragedy and opportunity at the same time. In immensely lethal doses.
And guess what? It tastes like a macadamia-nut and maple infused slice of French toast. Really, it does.
Because while my dear wife and spent evening after evening sitting on the lanai of our Kona area condo, we tasted the saltiness of our tears combined with the bracing fruit of a California Merlot, followed by a Pinot Noir, followed by a Shiraz, – all with great home cooked food of course!
Some would say that the combination of tears, sadness and laughter is a sign of madness – in our case it was a part of healing and re-birth.
We spent almost the entire month of November 2009 in the tropical womb of Hawaii, surrounded by friends, given our space – to meditate and find peace as we neared the conclusion of a tumultuous year.
And what made it the most difficult was the loss of our Wing-Man – my Mom-in-law. She was like the proverbial co-pilot, who when faced with a insurmountable ethical, moral or technical question, would look at the dashboard of the cockpit, illuminated with a zillion possible answers, glance over the console, through the windscreen and down onto the unforgiving World below, furrow her brow and toss out the most obvious and logical answer possible.
Yup. That was what she was like. She always had the answer. Which left me with that sweet option of being along for the ride – maybe pulling my weight… maybe not.
And losing that creature-feature in your life is like losing the aircraft hydraulics or tail rudder… no so easy when you are in charge of the crew and passengers.
Now I am the captain. And it is a tough role trust me. Still getting a feel for the cap and the uniform. It’s still kind of sticky but it think I am up for it.
Anyway. 2009 was one of those years where it occurred to me that there were going to be way more opportunities than time to actually do everything justice.
These stories and some of their outcomes in Part two!
Reader's Digest Canada rant chapter three - Our Canada · Monday December 14, 2009 by colin newell
On the phone to Reader’s Digest today – and this time they were under the questionable cape of Our Canada magazine.
Let’s look at the Bill shall we? Dated within days of my mom-in-laws passing.
“Dear Mrs. Mother-in-law,
A few months ago, you requested a subscription for Our Canada.
We sent you your first issue in good faith with the understanding that you would honor the invoice and pay it promptly.
We’ve kept our part of the bargain, but so far we have not received your payment.”
Jumping in now…
My Mother-in-law was in the hospital without a phone, radio or television for 4 months prior to her passing and she, in no way, requested a subscription to this shady Readers Digest front.
So. According to the above passage, Readers Digest lies.
Of course during the conversation the very friendly lady said that someone signed my mother-in-law up for the copy of Our Canada.
Let’s keep reading.
“I must ask that you pay the enclosed invoice immediately. If we do not receive payment within 15 days, we will turn your account over to our credit and collection department.”
Can you imagine a little old lady sitting in her apartment. Perhaps she is a tad forgetful. Perhaps she is on a fixed income. These letters and invoices can be scary for our old folks!
The RD invoice I hold in my hand is dripping with intimidation and disrespect for our beloved elderly folks.
Readers Digest. It’s senior-abuse, plain and simple. And it should stop!
My opinion: I feel that RD are weasels that need to be exposed for the abusers of our dear Canadian seniors.
Go on RD. Take me to the carpet on this. I dare you.
Shame on Reader’s Digest Canada – Shame, shame, triple shame.
And to my departed and beloved Mom-in-law, god bless her… At least she doesn’t have to deal with RD ever again.
Read this CBC Marketplace expose of Readers Digest’s questionable nonsense. Watch the video. It is shocking. Activities that are banned in the U.S. appear to be commonplace in Canada.
Shocker: The Canadian government subsidizes Readers Digest Canada to the tune of $2,000,000 a year in postal tariff reductions – reduced postage… so they can scam and harass your parents and grand-parents.
Comment [4]
Baby bottom bugaboos and other bewildering blather · Tuesday December 8, 2009 by colin newell
While waiting in line for my favorite serving of breakfast (a weekend or so ago…) I noticed a young parent plunk down their diapered bambino on the cafe counter adjacent to the POS terminal. You know, where staff put food and beverages…
The young couple had just pushed their way into the cafe with a HUMVEE sized stroller that essentially trapped us mortal folk inside the cafe. In the event of fire or pestilence we would have died happy while grabbing for our favorite baked goodies while fire and smoke overtook our sorry souls.
But this does not bother me half as much as Tim Horton’s HQ who are desperately trying to hang on to their profit share by using some kind of Faith based science in defending their unbridled expansion of drive through extensions in the Province of Ontario.
I use the term Faith in that they must really take themselves seriously if they expect us to believe in the nonsense that they are pitching.
Facing a rising brew ha ha of municipal anti-drive-thru ordinances, Horton’s parent company TDL commissioned a study last year from RWDI consultants, based in Guelph, Ont… comparing total emissions given off by customers’ cars that use drive-thrus and those that use parking lots.
The stunning result: — that cars using drive-thrus produce lower emissions than those using parking lots.
The suggestion is… parked cars generate more pollution than the idling cars in the drive-through. Right.
Fact is, it is a high stakes game because Timmies makes almost 50% of its revenue from un-conscientious smoggers. Yes lots of folks simply cannot get out of their cars because of squalling babies and implacable pets – and there are other reasons.
Timmies supposition that Drive-Throughs work towards a general social good is cynical and deceptive. And we are not buying it.
And neither should you.
Comment [2]
Tropical Colors Warm Winds Tour Chapter 3 · Monday November 23, 2009 by colin newell
Sunset. It is a day. A week. A month. It’s your life.
And birth. A death.
Joy. Elation. Celebration. Renewal.
We hang our souls to dry like tropical themed towels at the pool-side.
And while staring into the sun gives clarity and honesty, home is
where the heart is.
Yes. It is here. Some of the time. And it’s back home with friends and loved ones.
After we hung out with a seasoned coffee farmer at Lehuulu Farms we sat in an old theater cafe up-country where they grow coffee.
The Aloha cafe is at 79-7384 Mamalahoa Hwy in Kealakekua, Hawaii – a mere 15 minutes from Kona, Hawaii.
We start to take root. We realize that we now have friends for life here.
And there. Back home.
I guess. Even though our family shrunk by one recently (and we were broken…)
Our World grew a bit bigger today.
Such is life.
