Half Way to 90

Well, another trip around the sun successfully completed with the realization that I most likely have more behind me than ahead of me.  But, I'm guessing, the ones ahead of me are going to get better and better (until the last ten which, to paraphrase Dennis Leary, are the wheel-chair, adult diaper, can't wipe your own ass shitty ones).

Anyway, it was kind of interesting that my birthday fell upon Chinese New Year here in North America.  This is the year of the dragon, so I celebrated by drawing a little Chinese dragon in my notebook which both kids instantly recognized as being dragon-like.  One point for retaining the drawing skills in my old age.

I don't make resolutions on January 1st.  I've always figured that since I have a January birthday that if resolutions are to be made, I can make them on the 23rd.  So, since my birthday and Chinese New Year arrived at the same time, I made a few Chinese New Year Resolutions.

I don't often share my resolutions and I'll keep most of them to myself.  Here's one, however:

I have a pair of fascinating, interesting and dynamic children sharing my house and my life.  They promise to do nothing but become more interesting as time goes by.  I really want to see what these two are going to do in the world and, selfishly, I want to do that for as long as I possible can.  To that end, I have resolved to be healthier.

I have been exercising more and I have improved my diet.  There was a time when vegetables performed only the role of decoration on my plate.  Everything green and leafy might as well have been parsley for all the chance it would end up in my mouth.  I have always believed, and still do, that my ape-like ancestors did not fight their way to the top of the food chain so that I could enjoy a salad.  No, sir.  Meat is king.  An opposable thumb is a damn handy thing to have when peeling an orange but it can be done without.  Not so holding a steak knife.  As Larry Niven once said, it takes little to no skill to sneak up on a leaf.

That said - months ago, I stood on a scale and the scale told me, without a doubt, it was time to change something.  So I have.  Meat is still my friend and always will be, but I have tempered my carnivorous habits with a new relationship with our leafy friends.  Yes...the leaf is now my friend, too.

So far I've had results.  Since that initial eye-opening step on the scales two months ago I am happily 20 pounds lighter and feel a lot healthier.  And I intend to keep it up.  I have other resolutions that I won't share but this I vow with my Chinese New Year Resolution:

In the Year of The Dragon, this guy won't be draggin' his ass anymore.

Space - the final frontier...

Space...that's what we're looking for and, for the Beynon family, space will come in the form of a garage.

Right now we have a carport.  The carport has served us well over the years but despite our best efforts to weatherize part of it for the winter, it remains chiefly a three season structure.  A couple of canvas dividers work in a pinch, but it's still damn cold and damned drafty out there, even during the mildest of winters.

We've talked about extra space for a couple of years now and we've bandied about several ideas.  Here's the one we've decided to work with:

This is rough sketch.  What we want is space inside of one car, a workshop area that can store bikes and sleds at the front and gardening stuff at the back with a workshop in the middle.  We also want an office that will have a futon or a Murphy bed for when we have guests.

Here's a preliminary floor plan:

We met with a construction guy (just happens to be called Dave) who lives in town and has done work locally.  A couple of years ago he built what has become known in these parts as "The Garage Mahal "  I have spoken to the folks who had the Garage Mahal built and they sang Dave's praises.  We went over our ideas and spoke about permits, timing etc.  The ball is in Dave's court for the next few days.  It promises to be exciting times around here as we move forward.

I'll keep you posted on developments.

Goodbye 2011

Well, Christmas has come and gone and from all accounts here in the Beynon household it was a good one.  There was one absence that was deeply felt and throughout the day I found myself looking to the empty chair where my mother has sat in Christmases past.   It was an odd feeling setting only four places at the dinner table this year.

After Christmas, we loaded into the car and drove seven hours north to spend some time with my wife's side of the family.  The kids and the dog are such good travelers.  The weather co-operated and we found ourselves in the far north just in time for a brutal flash freeze.  Our drive back was favoured with fine weather, too.  We arrived home last night to a few inches of snow and the obligatory persons of snow soon took shape in our front yard.

And here we are, hours before the New Year.  Tonight it looks as if the kids and I will be heading out to celebrate the turn of the calendar without my wife.  She's resting upstairs in the hopes that she'll be well enough to accompany us this evening.

No resolutions.  I make mine later in January on my birthday. It has been a strange year.  There have been triumphs and tragedy.  That is, I suppose, as it should be.

I wish you all the best in the new year and I hope that something interesting and wonderful is waiting for all of us on the other side.  Be nice to each other and I'll be back in 2012.