Northern Voices

Summer 2009 has been a blur

2009-07-31T09:35:00.006-04:00

Stella and Jonas

2009-06-21T21:46:00.009-04:00

Stella Elisabeth Mackie. Born June 10, 2009

2009-06-13T21:17:00.008-04:00

We’re home! Stella came home from the hospital on Friday. We are all doing extremely well. Christine is feeling great. Big brother Jonas cannot stop talking about his baby sister. He never misses an opportunity to hold his baby sister. It’s just so cute.

Here are a few pictures of Stella’s first two days.

Gettin’ Closer!

2009-06-07T14:59:00.002-04:00

The Mackie household is on full alert for the arrival of Baby No. 2. Christine put me on notice yesterday that a trip to the hospital could come at any moment. Quite frankly we are surprised we made it through the night. Our bed time reading last night involved going over our birth plan. Better late than never I guess. I sort of expected my lovely wife to say "now would be a time to get serious about this pregnancy Jeff."

The second time around has definitely been less eventful. There have been no emergency trips to the hospital. It has, for the most part, been smooth sailing. Also, our energy has been focused on Jonas. There are moments when I look at Christine and can’t believe she’s almost 39 weeks pregnant.

In some ways I am more excited for the birth of this baby simply because we don’t know if it will be a boy or a girl. Either way, we’ll be ecstatic. We really have no preference. I still believe it will be a boy, mostly because my dad’s side of the family have been giving birth to males for several generations. Only recently was that streak broken when my cousin Greg and his wife Amy had a girl. Who knows? Perhaps it is the start of a new streak.

Let’s talk about the weather

2009-04-07T23:49:00.006-04:00

I live in Timmins, Ont., where it has snowed non-stop for two days straight and four of the last five. The temps have been in the -5 C range, with significant wind chills. There are no signs of spring to speak of. We had a week in March in which the temps inched above zero and the snow began to melt. It was heaven. It really was. We are heading to southern Ontario for Easter Weekend and looking so forward to seeing grass, and maybe wearing shows and (gasp) spring jackets. Here is the evidence of our winter of discontent. These were taken on Saturday from our front window.

Today, I started a new job

2009-03-16T22:34:00.000-04:00

Since leaving The Hockey News, I’ve bounced around a bit. I’ve been everything except an ivory dealer. Well, I recently accepted a position as an education counsellor with the Credit Counselling Services of Cochrane District. I will be conducting seminars about managing money - a very important topic in today´s tough times. This is a great opportunity for me - eventually I will become a certified credit counsellor and bankruptcy counsellor. I will be counselling people on how to manage their debt.

For those of you scoring at home, I still have three jobs. In addition to the new gig, I’ll still be writing my weekly hockey column and of course there is our health and wellness business that will keep me busy. It’s all good, though, because I still have plenty of time to spend with Jonas. Because the new job is so close to home, I can easily make it home for lunch. I don’t have to leave until 8:15, so I will still get Jonas up and eat breakfast with him. Hopefully I’ll be home by 4:45 most days. It’s a good situation for a working parent.

Christine is now on sick leave from her job. Our doctor suggested it’s best that she rest as much as possible in the three months leading up to delivery. Everything is fine, but the stress of 12 hour nursing shifts, many of them nights, is incredibly hard on the system. The silver lining is that Jonas will still have a parent at home with him. The little guy adjusted well to having me leave early this morning. He kept telling his mommy: "daddy go work." Tonight as we were tucking him in he said: "daddy go work again." It was very cute.

Attitude is Everything

2009-03-03T22:25:00.002-05:00

The following is the text of a speech I delivered to Porcupine Toastmasters on Feb. 24. Can you believe I actually enjoy doing this?

Good evening fellow toastmasters and guests.

I stand before you tonight, a man who, until recently, felt frustrated with his lot in life. For a long time my mind was a jumbled mess of negative and self-defeating thoughts. It was as though my feet were stuck in quicksand – no matter how hard I tried to move forward, I just couldn’t get ahead.

After much soul-searching, I came to the conclusion that I was my own worst enemy, that I was the one holding myself back. My intentions were good, I worked hard, and I was honest, but that just wasn’t even enough. Problem was, deep down, I just didn’t believe that I could be successful.

I’ve made a decision, therefore, that 2009 will be a year of change for Jeff Mackie. I’m on a mission, not to find myself, but rather to re-create myself. And the more people who know about my desire to be a better person, the better. That way, my feet will be held to the fire, so to speak.

Tonight I’m going to share with you some of the little things I’m doing differently. On their own, they won’t change my life, but when combined, I’m confident they’ll give me a powerful new outlook.

First of all, I took the advice of sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer, and wrote a personal mission statement and placed it above my desk, where I see it every day. This statement has started me on the road to discovering my purpose for being on this earth. So here it is:

I am Jeff Mackie

I am a father…
I will encourage my children and help them develop self-confidence

I am a husband…
I will treat my wife like my best friend
I will shower her with affection

I am a friend…
I will treat all my friends as though they’re my best friend

I am an entrepreneur…
I will never miss an opportunity to approach someone about a business partnership, for what I have to offer is of great benefit. And when they become customers, I will treat my customers like gold

I am an amazingly positive person…
I will smile often
I will make people laugh
I will sincerely complement others
I will be the person everyone remembers AND
I will be a voracious reader of positive books

I am a hard worker…
I will work when I don’t feel like working AND
I will make good decisions with my time

I am healthy…
I am committed to being a healthy and happy person, both physically and mentally AND
I will exercise my mind, body and spirit on a regular basis

I am Jeff Mackie

Repeating my mission statement over and over again while rehearsing for this speech has really crystallized it my mind. I’m really glad I decided to share it with everyone.

Moving right along, I followed the advice of author and speaker T. Harv Eker, and wrote out a list of 10 things I’m grateful for. I read this list out loud every day. The rationale behind the list is this: until you are truly grateful for what you have, the universe will not give you anything more. Here’s my list of the 10 things I’m grateful for:

1) I am grateful for my wife’s unconditional love.

2) I am grateful for a healthy and happy little boy.

3) I am grateful that my health has improved in recent years.

4) I am grateful that our home is warm and comfortable.

5) I am grateful for my parents support.

6) I am grateful to be Canadian.

7) I am grateful for the love and support of great friends.

8) I am grateful to be living in northern Ontario.

9) I am grateful for the education I’ve received throughout my life.

10) I am grateful for the opportunity to write about hockey – and get paid for it.

That’s my gratitude list. If you don’t already have one, you should. It just takes a few minutes. Say it aloud to yourself at least once a day. Trust me, it will help you feel better about yourself.

Well, I’ve shared with you my mission statement and gratitude list, and now I’m going to share a few other important techniques with you.

First of all, at the end of the day, I highly recommend that you conduct a debrief of your day. Write down one thing that went right, and one thing that went wrong. Then, write the answers to the following question: How did I create each of these situations?

You see, we’re all responsible for own actions, and the actions we take are responsible for the results we get. It’s pretty simple, really. This exercise is an invaluable tool for helping you take personal responsibility for your actions. And it takes just 5 minutes.

Here’s another technique that will help you control your negative thoughts. It might sound a bit crude, but believe me it works. Whenever you catch yourself saying something negative, do this. Whenever we think and say negative things, we’re essentially slitting our throats financially. Now this doesn’t mean we can’t offer constructive criticism, or stand up for ourselves if we’re being taken advantage of. But we do have to pay attention to our tone and body language.

Let me ask everyone a question: Do you want others to think of you as a negative person? I bet the answer for everyone is no. Therefore, we must always be aware of the attitude we’re presenting to others.

There’s no shortage of books to read on the subject of attitude. I’ve mentioned just a couple of them, but there are countless others. In conclusion, I encourage you all to pay more attention to your attitude. Learn how to think more positively. You’ll feel better about yourself – and if done correctly – you’ll be rich before you know it.

Victory!

2009-02-25T14:20:00.002-05:00

In the end, the readers couldn’t resist Fickle Feline. I was so happy to hear that Katrina’s blog won the Mabel’s Labels 2009 BlogHer convention. I knew she could do it, but you have to admit that it was a daunting challenge, considering she was up against 9 other bloggers. Kat gets a free trip to the BlogHer convention in Chicago this summer. Sweet!

Let’s send Fickle Feline to Chicago!

2009-02-16T23:21:00.002-05:00

OK folks, we have a chance to do something nice for a very special person. My friend and fellow blogger Katrina Carefoot is one of 10 finalists in the Mabel’s Labels BlogHer contest. The winner receives a trip to the BlogHer convention in Chicago.

Voting couldn’t be easier. It takes 10 seconds. Just click on this link and vote for Fickle Feline. The deadline to vote is Mon. Feb. 23 at noon.

http://www.mabel.ca/poll/

Just a little more info about Kat. She is the proud mom to Max, a fabulous little guy not much older than Jonas. Max is autistic and taking IBI therapy - a very expensive intervention for autism. Kat is using her blog to raise awareness for autism. I love the fact that she is so completely dedicated to getting Max the best therapy possible.

I urge everyone to read Kat’s Fickle Feline blog. I guarantee you it is one of the best blogs you’ll ever read.

I might be cool again

2009-02-15T23:48:00.002-05:00

I was cool once. It was during 2001 and 2002. I lived in Toronto at the time, and I was very much young, wild and free. I did whatever I wanted, and did so at all hours of the day and night.

I thought about those days as Christine and I watched a great movie tonight: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Just watching the film made me feel cool again. And yet I am so not. In fact, I am as far from cool as possible. I’m a husband and father first, and an individual person second. Not that I’m complaining. So much of my energy goes toward the rearing of a wonderful two year old boy. When we welcome baby no. 2 in June, I’ll have even less time and energy for extra-curricular activities. That’s just the way it’s going to be.

However, all will not be lost. In the past couple of weeks I’ve been making an effort to listen to new music. I’ve been pouring over alternative playlists and countdowns and sampling some new artists. I have to say, I love what I’m hearing!! I’m listening to fresh new music that is unpredictable, exciting, mysterious, and captivating.

Watching Nick and Norah tonight only reaffirms my desire to expand my musical horizons and become "cool" again.

We’re having a baby, baby!

2008-12-09T09:27:00.002-05:00

This coming June, there will be a fourth member of the Mackie clan. Christine is about 13 weeks pregnant. Yipee!!

Our joy has been tempered somewhat by the fact that Christine has been horribly sick so far. Not just morning sickness, but all-day sickness. This is not good when you’re an RN and work shift work. She was sick like this with Jonas too, so we kind of expected this. At least she has yet to throw up in a snow bank after a night shift while her boss climbs over her, not even stopping to ask if she’s OK. Yes, that did happen.

I have a lot on the go. I have lost count of how many "jobs" I have. A while ago I decided that I should view myself as a consultant who has several clients. All told, I have three sources of income which keeps me plenty busy. The bonus, of course, is that I am able to work from home, which saves us big time in child care costs.

I am actually in negotiations right now to start a hockey blog. I’ve been approached by a popular website. They would like to be my advertising representative. I would get paid for my blogging based on the sale of ads. It is certainly an upgrade on the zero dollars I’m currently making writing this blog. Who knows? Perhaps I’ll become the next Perez Hilton!

The Unbearable Cuteness of Being

2008-11-18T23:17:00.002-05:00

Our bedtime routine with Jonas goes something like this: He watches "In the Night Garden" while sitting in his Elmo chair. Then we tell him to turn off the TV, which he does. He takes his blanky and walks up the stairs with us to our bedroom. Next we read three bedtime stories (or storieses as Christine likes to say).

When we put Jonas to sleep in his crib, we make sure to say "night night" to all his stuffed animals. Lastly we say "night night Lolo" to Little J.

Todaym Jonas was playing on a blanket in the living room. All of a sudden, one by one, he starts saying "night night" to his animals and then gives each of them a kiss - complete with the sound effect. It was absolutely adorable. It was one of those moments I was glad I work from home.

A Fight Worth Fighting

2008-11-10T12:03:00.001-05:00

The following is the text of a speech I delivered to Porcupine Toastmasters on Nov. 4. As always, pretend that Barack Obama is delivering it and it becomes much more captivating.

Good evening fellow Toastmasters.

We’re very fortunate to have such a wonderful space to come to every Tuesday evening. In the winter months, when the wind is howling and the snow is blowing outside, we’re safe and warm. There are no outside distractions. We can focus our energy on becoming public speakers.

Imagine for a moment if we weren’t so lucky. Imagine that we gathered in a portable where the door wouldn’t shut properly. Imagine we had to wear our winter coats just to stay warm. Imagine our classroom gave us headaches and made us nauseous.

We wouldn’t stand for it – I guarantee you. Why then, should we expect the school children of Attawapiskat to learn in such deplorable conditions?

Deplorable learning conditions have been a fact of life for an entire generation of Attawapiskat children. And yet, the federal government continues to overlook their needs. A new school is desperately needed in Attawapiskat. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

Here’s some background information.

In 1979, there was a diesel spill near J.R. Nagokee School. 30,000 gallons of diesel was spilled. Let me say that again: 30,000 gallons of diesel was spilled Children and teachers started getting sick. They suffered severe headaches and nausea. The federal government did nothing to investigate these claims.

The Attawapiskat Education Authority discovered the leak under the school in 2000. Parents pulled their children out of school. Only then did the federal government provide portables. The Indian Affairs Minister at the time, Robert Nault, agreed to get the ball rolling for a new school. This was 8 years ago.

A new school for the children of Attawapiskat has been promised by three Indian Affairs Minister from two political parties. In August of 2007, then Minister Jim Prentice and the community agreed on plans for a new school. Construction was supposed to begin this spring. But it didn’t happen.

Chuck Strahl, the new Indian Affairs Minister, cancelled the project. He didn’t delay it. He outright cancelled it. Mr. Strahl stated that other communities needed a school more than Attawapiskat. Mr. Strahl also said there were no health and safety concerns in Attawapiskat.

No health and safety concerns? Is that so?

My friends, the diesel under the portables has caused the ground to shift. This has caused the windows to be jammed shut and created gaps under the doors, allowing cold air in. Emergency doors have been sealed shut.

I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sound safe to me.

Attendance has dropped considerably as the conditions have worsened. Children as young as 10 are not attending school regularly.

What would you do if your child, or grandchild, or niece or nephew was forced to learn under this conditions? What would you do?

We wouldn’t tolerate that in Timmins. They wouldn’t tolerate it in Toronto. They wouldn’t tolerate it in Nova Scotia. They wouldn’t tolerate it in British Columbia.

But it’s been tolerated for close to 30 years in Attawapiskat.

Luckily, this sad story has some heroes. I’d like to tell you about a few of them.

Shannen Koostachin is 14. She lives in Attawapiskat. Shannen is survivor of JR Nakogee Public School.

Chris Kataquapit is 13 years old. He also lives in Attawapiskat. Chris is also a survivor of JR Nakogee Public School.

Jonah Sutherland is also 13. Jonah is a survivor of JR Nakogee Public School.

Serena Koostachin is a little older. She’s 16. And yes, Serena is a survivor of JR Nakogee Public School.

Shannen, Chris, Jonah and Serena continue to fight for a new school. In fact, they’ve have sent a report to the United Nations charging that the federal government has violated their human rights.

A paragraph in Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states, and I quote: the government "shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety and health.”

It sounds like a violation of human rights to me.

I’ve spoken to our Member of Parliament, Charlie Angus, about this issue. He assures me that the students will not stop fighting until a new school is built. But they need our help. There are a couple of things we can do.

First off, I encourage you to sign an online petition as a show of support. I have the website address. Please see me if you would like it.

Secondly, you should explain your position in a letter to Minister Chuck Strahl. There is power in numbers, my friends. Let’s send the government a very clear message that we value our young people.

Just to let everyone know, I will be sending a copy of this speech to Minister Strahl.

In conclusion, let us leave here tonight with a renewed purpose. Let us speak for those who voice is silenced. Let us remember that our future is in the hands of our children. Let us never forget that we have the power to help the children of Attawapiskat.

Madame Toastmaster.

Our Little Pumpkin

2008-11-02T22:41:00.008-05:00

We’re alive!

2008-10-17T21:59:00.002-04:00

I just finished watching the Leafs-Rangers game, and I’m positively thrilled that the Rangers won 1-0 in a shootout. That’s because I’m in a suicide pool this year. The idea is to pick a team to win a game on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If that team doesn’t win, you’re eliminated. The next week we pick another team to win, but we can’t pick the same team to win more than once during the season. The last person standing is the winner.

The best part about this is that I’ve reunited with my old friend Blair Buchmann in doing this. Apparently I am seen as a hockey expert, so Blair asked me to advise him on his picks. He actually has two entries in the pool - he makes one pick and I make the other. We’re a perfect 3-for-3 so far. Tomorrow night Blair has picked Montreal to beat Phoenix.

I had a great time watching the game by myself. Christine is working the night shift and Jonas, bless his heart, has long since been asleep. He is an excellent sleeper. He doesn’t wake up during the night and is almost always good for 12 hours of sleep. I know there are some parents who want to smack me for revealing that. I am touching on wood that little Jonas continues his good sleeping habits.

As I watched the game I was really impressed by the play of Jonas Frogren and Luke Schenn. They were awesome on the penalty kill, throwing themselves in front of shots with reckless abandon. If Christine and I ever have another son, I think we should name him Luke - Jonas and Luke - only I would ever know the significance :-)

I’m thinking about becoming a motivational speaker!

2008-10-16T23:25:00.002-04:00

Because I don’t have enough jobs already, I am looking into motivational speaking. Someone from Toastmasters suggested I do it - apparently it is quite lucrative. In the meantime, here is the text of a speech I delivered recently to Toastmasters. The purpose was to inspire people to action. Hope it worked :-)

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Well good evening ladies and gentlemen. I’m going to be as upfront and direct with you as possible. I’m here tonight to inspire you. To inspire each and every one of you to get out of your comfort zone, to explore all that life has to offer, and to be a source of inspiration for friends and loved ones.

Some of you in this room are going to join me in embarking on a journey of self-discovery, but there are some of who won’t. And that’s a real shame, because what I’m about to tell you is the most important thing you’ll ever hear.

OK, do I have everyone’s attention?

Ladies and gentlemen, a little over three years ago I was living and working in downtown Toronto. I spent day after day riding the subway to work, then spent eight hours staring at a computer screen all day. Nothing numbs your mind more than working in front of a computer day after day, month after month, year after year. By the end of 2004 I was dead on the inside. I was so ridden with anxiety, paralyzed by fear that I could no longer see into the future.

I needed change.

So what did I do? I did what everyone would do. I moved to a First Nations community in Northern Ontario – a community accessible only by air. There was only one way in, and only one way out of Fort Albany. I knew the experience would either finish me off for good or give me the inspiration to face the future.

I’m not going to stand here and say that my life turned around the moment I arrived in Fort Albany. I endured many struggles there, so many that picking out one single low point is impossible.

It might have been in February of 2006. With my wife a few weeks pregnant, I was mired in depression, brought on no doubt by months of winter, where the temperature reaches –30 degrees C every day for a month at a time. On Valentines Day, the two of us found ourselves frozen to the bone in a Moose Factory hotel room. We were flown out of Fort Albany because my wife was having complications with her pregnancy and she needed to have some tests done. As we lay under the covers, shivering, we had no idea that this experience would ultimately make us stronger people.

Or perhaps the low point was a few months later, in April, when rising waters forced a partial evacuation of our community. Folks, believe me, you haven’t really lived until you’re boarding a twin-engine plane at 2 a.m., unsure of what to expect when you return.

For the next 10 days, we lived in a less-than-ideal hotel in Moosonee, never sure when we’d be able to return home. One evening we found ourselves in the back of an ambulance, with my wife experiencing terrible stomach pain. Turns out she and our unborn child would be OK. It was merely a case of food poisoning – the kind you get living in a certain hotel in Moosonee.

During this bleak 10-day period, a ray of light shone down on us. We had the opportunity to get an ultrasound, and decided we wanted to know if we were having a boy or a girl. We needed something to keep us going, and figured some exciting news in the midst of misery was needed.

Just as I suspected, we were going to have a boy. Suddenly the miracle of life took on a new dimension.

I’m going to rewind a bit now. It was during another low period, in December 2005, that I decided it was time for us to bring a new life into the world. I was sitting by myself in the Timmins airport on my way to meet my wife in Toronto. It was my first time away from the James Bay coast. Six months in the bush had taken its toll on me.

I was listening to a young couple telling another person that they were expecting their first child in February. It had been a difficult pregnancy for the expectant mother and she couldn’t wait to give birth. During the conversation, I made up my mind that it was time for us. Up until then, we kept telling ourselves that the timing wasn’t right, that we were too unsettled.

I got to thinking about my first six months in Fort Albany - about how random life is. For the first time in my life, I had seen true suffering. I had friends who were helpless to their addictions, who never had the opportunities I did. And here I was, wallowing in self-pity.

At that exact moment, I chose life.

And so, I urged each and every one of to consider how short life is. Think about what you can do to step out of your comfort zone.

Because I stepped out of my comfort zone:

I saw the northern lights dancing against an icy sky.

I saw the sun rise over water that was as still as glass.

I saw the smiling faces of people whose skin was a different colour than mine.

I rescued a shivering puppy from a ditch and gave it life

Because I stepped out of my comfort zone, I held a newborn baby for the first time.

You know it’s funny, of all the memories I have of Fort Albany, I keep thinking about what it felt like to hear the wind howling outside on a cold January night, as I gently rocked my son to sleep while listening to CBC radio. Those are the moments you never forget.

Ladies and gentleman, I stepped out of my comfort zone and created a lifetime of memories for myself.

I ask each of you to think about what your Fort Albany will be.

Thank you.

American Politics

2008-10-02T23:25:00.002-04:00

Instead of watching the Canadian leaders debate, tonight we watched the U.S. Vice-Presidential debate. I’m not sure what that says about us, but I’m not particularly proud of it. Hopefully the Canadian debate will be replayed because I do want to see it. Too bad both debates were on at the same time.

Like most folks, I tuned into watch Sarah Palin. I can’t believe how low the expectations were for her entering the debate. She didn’t fall on her face, but under no circumstances did she win the debate - despite what the pundits on Fox News are saying right now. This is a fact: Fox News poll says 86% thought Palin won and 12% thought Biden won.

On the other hand, a CBS poll has it 46-21 in favour of Biden.

Which poll would you trust?

Back in the Toastmasters groove

2008-09-17T22:20:00.002-04:00

Tuesday evening I attended our second Toastmasters meeting of the season. To those unfamiliar, Toastmasters is an organization that helps people improve their public speaking and leadership skills. It’s also a great opportunity to meet new people and socialize. Each week, everyone has a different role. For example, we have the role of meeting chair, toastmaster, general evaluator, joke master, table topics master, and several others.

Everyone is working out of Toastmasters leadership and communication manuals. There are 10 speeches you have to complete in order to become what is called a competent communicator. I completed just two speeches last year, but this year my goal is to complete the remaining eight. My first speech is scheduled for Sept. 30. I better get started on that!

Toastmasters is a very big part of my life because it is greatly enhancing my interpersonal and speaking skills. I am attempting to develop more confidence in dealing with people as I build my business. It takes a lot of courage to approach people you don’t know too well about a business opportunity. Toastmasters certainly helps me feel more comfortable under pressure. In fact, when I speak in front of the group I am much more relaxed than I once was. Ah, the wonders of Toastmasters.

We need to talk

2008-09-08T16:03:00.002-04:00

As some of you know, I have my very own home business. I don’t promote as much as I should, mostly because I am a very low-key, private kind of guy. Well that’s about to change.

You see, I believe EVERYONE should have their own home business. That’s right - everyone. Keep in mind that I’m a true skeptic at heart. I wouldn’t be promoting the benefits of a home business if I didn’t believe 100% that it can make a huge difference in everyone’s life.

Even if you never make a dime off your home business (which is almost impossible), the tax advantages alone are absolutely staggering. Just by running a home business, you can access $15,000-$20,000 in tax deductions every year. Suddenly, many of your household expenses become tax deducations. Depending on the tax bracket you’re in, it could mean an additional $5,000-$10,000 a year added to your tax return. I like to ask people: what would an extra $10,000 a year mean to you?

I take my reputation very seriously. Everything I do must be completely above board. I certainly don’t pressure people, or exaggerate the benefits of my business, or make promises I can’t deliver on. One thing is for sure: running a home business has changed my family’s life for the better. I’d be more than happy to show you how a home business can change your life.

We really do need to talk : -)

Wedding Bells

2008-08-27T22:40:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to my little brother Jason and his awesome wife Veronica on their recent wedding. The wedding on Saturday was definitely the highlight of our recent vacation. Here’s a brief rundown of what we did:

Fri. Aug. 15 - Drove from Timmins to Waterloo (a long drive)

Sat. Aug. 16 - attended the wedding of our close friend Ladyne from Fort Albany. It was the first Mennonite wedding we’d ever attended. Jonas had a blast.

Sun. Aug. 17 - Drove from Waterloo to Toronto. We were thoroughly exhausted by this point.

Mon. Aug. 18 - Shopping and socializing in T.O. (and playing in the hotel room)

Tues. Aug. 19 - Went to the CNE. I went to the Counting Crows concert at Ontario Place. I was disappointed with it. Damn high standards.

Wed. Aug. 20 - Shopping and socializing in T.O. I did some networking as well.

Thurs. Aug. 21 - Travelled to Lindsay. Dropped Jonas off at the in-laws.

Fri. Aug. 22 - Travelled to Midland. Wedding rehearsal and dinner.

Sat. Aug. 23 - Jason and Veronica’s wedding.

Sun. Aug. 24 - Brunch at my parents. Then we drove to Lindsay to collect the boy.

Mon. Aug. 25 - Drove home to Timmins. Exhausted, I immediately went to a business meeting. That’s Mackie!

Up is a Word

2008-08-11T23:12:00.002-04:00

We are mildly concerned that little Jonas hasn’t started using words yet. He’s not quite two yet, but what we’re parents so we can’t help but worry. However, we were encouraged tonight when he uttered what we believe was a word.

Here’s what happened:

The three of us were in our bedroom and Jonas was acting all goofy, running around the room, jumping up and down. Then he came over to the bed and wanted us to help him up. "Jonas can you say up," Christine asked him.

"Up," replied Jonas.

We were positively thrilled.

Truth be told he is also saying "ball." Last night he was given a ball by the very nice waitress at East Side Mario’s. We worked with him and eventually he said ball. Now when we say ball, he repeats it. He also associates ball with the actual ball. Everything seems to be happening so quickly. Hopefully more words are forthcoming.

29:36

2008-08-10T22:40:00.002-04:00

It is over.

The day I’d been waiting for has come and it almost gone. Today I ran the 5 Km race in the Golden Trails Festival in a time of 29:36. I am satisfied because secretly my goal was to finish in under 30 minutes.

I ran the first 15 minutes at a steady, moderate pace. I picked up my speed in the second half and actually sprinted the final km. Yep, I was running full out. My body felt great. So light. I was free and easy as I entered the stadium and did a lap around the track. It was a fantastic feeling to hear my name announced as I neared the finish line and to hear the crowd cheering me on. I only wish Christine and Jonas could have been there to witness my big moment. Christine had to work so I dropped Jonas off at Meghan’s.

This afternoon Jonas and I had our own celebration as we went to the Mac for lunch. We shared a plate of pancakes and ham. Later on we went over to Joe and Mary-Ann’s, who were hosting some Filipino friends. I socialized while Jonas spent a couple of hours playing in little Joseph’s mini-car.

Tonight the three of us celebrated (again) by going to East Side Mario’s for supper. We had two reasons to celebrate: Christine has just accepted a full-time position at the hospital. It means a lot to us because the benefits are a step up from our current benefits.

Time for a well-deserved sleep. Tomorrow I am back at it. My running mates and I are going for a run at 5:30 p.m. It will be a light run, but I’m looking forward to running on back-to-back days for the first time.

Ready to Run!

2008-08-09T23:18:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is the big day.

I am running the 5 Km race in the Timmins Golden Trails Festival. The race begins at 9 a.m. Since Christine is working, I will be taking Jonas to our babysitter Meghan’s for the morning, where he will undoubtedly have a great time. Then it’s time for me to run. I am a bit nervous because I’ll be running by myself - none of my running partners will be participating. I wonder what it will feel like at the starting line?

Finishing the 5 Km won’t be a problem. At least I don’t think it will be. I am a little concerned that my pacing will be off because I’m not accustomed to racing against others. I don’t want to burn my energy too soon in the race. My plan will to be run at a steady pace for about 10-12 minutes and then pick up the pace for a few minutes. I feel so good when I have my balance and my entire body is working like a well-oiled machine.

Wish me luck. I look forward to reporting how the race goes.

What Long Weekend?

2008-08-01T23:15:00.002-04:00

One of the interesting things about being a work-at-home dad is that I hardly ever know what day it is. As I was winding up my run last week, I had no idea what day it was. None whatsoever. Turns out it was Monday. I only came to this conclusion after deducing that I normally run Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays - and that it felt most like a Monday. Do any other at-home parents feel this way?

I am looking forward to the long weekend, although it doesn’t mean that much to me. Truth is I work every day. This weekend will be special, though, because Christine is off and I won’t be solely responsible for Jonas for the next three days. I’m meeting my running partner tomorrow for a run through the Tembec trails behind the hospital, where the bears are. Yes, there really are bears. Later on we are planning to visit with our friends Joe and Mary-Ann and their three kids. Should be a busy day, but it will be a nice break from the routine.

At some point this weekend I am hoping to do a business presentation with some potential customers. The work never seems to stop! I’m not complaining though because it is very exciting to see the business grow. This reminds me that I need to work on my business plan. It’s kind of funny, I’m too busy running the business to work on the business plan. Bad Jeff.

Tired!!

2008-07-31T22:48:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a day. A good one but a busy one. I had a great conversation with a friend this morning who is excited about becoming a part of my business. He is a young man with a great deal of integrity - exactly the type of person I am looking to work with.

Jonas and I went mall walking later in the morning rather than go to play group. I needed to purchase a new tape recorder so we made a morning of it. We stopped for yogurt and berries at Tim Horton’s then played on the rides for a while. Afterwards we went for lunch at the Sears Cafe. Christine is on nights, so the more we can be out the better.

In the afternoon I spoke with KL Mayor Bill Enouy for my MSN column. Then I wrote the darn thing.

At 5:30 I went for a 5K run. My right foot is feeling better and I look forward to the 5K race on Aug. 10.

I came home and ate supper, then took Jonas for his bath and got him off to bed. I did a bit of work on the business and I’m now watching the Arizona Diamondbacks - Los Angeles Dodgers game with Vin Scully doing the commentary. What a legend he is. I love it!

Kathleen’s KL connection

2008-07-29T23:12:00.002-04:00

Kirkland Lake Mayor and Northern Voices reader Bill Enouy wrote in to say that Kathleen Edwards’ mother grew up in Kirkland Lake. I did not know that.

I should let everyone know that I am separated from Kathleen Edwards by only two degrees. My friend Kim Vermette is close friends with Amanda Putz (of CBC radio fame) who is the sister-in-law of Kathleen. Amanda is married (or at least in a relationship) with Amanda’s brother Tim.

Perhaps one day Kathleen will visit Northern Voices. One can only hope.

The magnificence of youth

2008-07-28T23:19:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Jonas and I went to the final game of the Ontario Little Championship here in Timmins. The hometown LaRonde Lynx defeated East Nepean 13-5 to advance to the Canadian Little League Championship in Sydney NS.

I was suitably impressed by how well these 11 and 12 year olds played the game. They played hard, with a great amount of passion. They were also tremendous young sportsmen, very encouraging to each other. I was struck by how many of the East Nepean players were crying following the lost - and how completely understandable it was. They played their hearts out, after all.

The game brought back a lot of memories for me. I loved playing baseball as a kid. I recall endless summers filled with baseball and friends. We played because we loved it, organizing games ourselves, whether it be at Federal School or Civic Stadium. I just don’t see kids playing ball on their own anymore. Maybe I’m not looking hard enough.

My favourite baseball memory occurred on Aug. 18, 1989. Pitching for the Kirkland Lake Downtown Dodgers, I hurled a one-hitter to defeat Rouyn-Noranda 9-0 in the first game of our own tournament. I was never as dominant as I was on that summer night. I made up my mind that I wouldn’t be touched and then followed through. Because I was moving to Lindsay in four days, I wanted nothing more than to leave Kirkland Lake with a bang. I think of that night often - and how it was the highlight of my sporting career.

Kathleen Edwards I love you

2008-07-26T23:11:00.002-04:00

I don’t really love Kathleen Edwards, but I do love her music. I finally picked up her latest CD yesterday, and let me tell you it is brilliant. Just brilliant.

What you need to know is that I absolutely loved her debut Album, Failer. This was reinforced on an August night in 2003 when I saw her open for Blue Rodeo. She is a kick ass live performer. Her second album came out just before I moved to Fort Albany. I liked it, sure, but it didn’t grab me like Failer did. It was a little too slick for my liking. It was almost as though Kathleen was trying too hard to be accepted by the mainstream.

I will admit that the new disc, Asking for Flowers, has a couple of radio friendly songs, but the vast majority are dark, brooding, and somewhat disturbing. There’s a song called "Alicia Ross" which was inspired by the murder of a young woman from Markham. Then there’s "Oh Canada", which can best be described as "Rockin in the Free World" for the new milenium.

I am pleasantly surprised by how much I love this album. I was prepared for much worse. There’s nothing like lowered expectations eh?

Sorry I don’t have a "real" job

2008-07-24T23:34:00.003-04:00

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that staying at home with kids isn’t real work. I’ve worked in several jobs, and the difference between looking after little ones and a "real" job is that the "real" job affords you a lot more time to goof off during the middle of the day. Looking after a child requires that you be on the ball all day long.

Today I woke up at 7:45 a.m. and took a shower and enjoyed breakfast with Christine, who was just arriving home from the night shift.

At 8:30 I punched the clock. Jonas was ready to get up so I changed his bum, got him dressed, brought him downstairs, prepared his oatmeal and cut up his apple, and sat with him for a few minutes while he ate. Then I made a few business calls while he finished up. Somewhere in there I took the dog out for a pee and fed her as well. Dogs don’t feed themselves.

Jonas and I left for playgroup at 10:15. For the next 90 minutes or so I watched him intently, read with him, played with, got his snack for him. Believe me, there wasn’t much down time.

We came home at noon. I prepared our lunch (french toast) and then enjoyed a "working lunch" with my son. It wasn’t a lunch break - a lunch break implies that some sort of break was taken.

Then I tidied up the kitchen for a few minutes while Jonas played rather loudly in the living room. After that it was time for a bum change and (thankfully) a nap. Luckily he went quietly.

Next it was time for dad to do some grownup work. I took a couple of hours to catch up on correspondence and work on my column - which I didn’t get finished before Jonas woke up.

So I got Jonas up and realized we had at least 90 minutes before supper. The two of us headed to the park where Jonas played on the slide, teeter totter, and eventually shoveled sand into a sand pail. Then it was time to go. One of us was not happy and had to dragged home.

I got supper started and played with Jonas while Christine finished preparing it. Then we ate supper. Again, it was a "working supper."

Afterwards I cleaned the kitchen (again), took Jonas for his bath, got him in his PJs, brushed his teeth, then read him his story along with Christine, who was nice enough to take him to bed.

I walked the dog.

I came home and finished my column. Thank goodness it’s done.

I live a full and balanced life. I have four different sources of income that contribute to the financial well-being of our family. I spend every single day looking after my son. He doesn’t go to daycare - that’s money we’re saving because of me.

I write this to remind myself that I’m making a difference in the lives of two people in particular. Sometimes it’s easy to forget.

I’m 32 and have a paper route

2008-07-23T21:50:00.004-04:00

I don’t go around telling people this, but I have a paper route. Actually, we have a paper route. Christine and me. And Jonas.

It all started last winter when Christine decided she wanted to get more exercise and get paid for it. Then when she went back to work full time in February the paper route became ours. Every Wednesday and Friday we deliver a free weekly paper to 162 houses in our neighbourhood. For this we receive 8 cents a paper, which works out to $100 a month - certainly not an insignificant amount of money.

Truthfully it’s a bit of a pain in the rear. It takes two hours for me to deliver 162 papers. Most of the time I push Jonas in his jogging stroller. He seems to enjoy it, or at least he rarely complains. We have often thought about giving it up, but the money just accumulates in a bank account and is there for us to use at our discretion. We’re not made of money by any means, so it makes sense for us to grind it out a little longer. Then there’s the exercise factor. I’m running five days a week and delivering papers two days. At the end of the day, I feel a great sense of satisfaction that I’ve worked my butt off. It’s a nice feeling.

OK, now that world knows I’m a paper boy.

Running on Empty

2008-07-22T22:41:00.003-04:00

First, the good news. I ran 41 minutes without stopping this afternoon. As far as I can recall, I’ve never run that long before. Not even in high school when I was supposedly in the best shape of my life. I remember the 12-minute run in Joe Lovsin’s class being quite the challenge. Today is a victory.

On the downside I felt terrible during the run. Every step was agony. My legs felt heavy and tired; my right foot was hurting me; I was terribly thirsty. Many times I felt like walking but I soldiered on. For that I should be proud.

I suppose I felt so crappy because for a few reasons:

1) I spent six hours behind the wheel yesterday.

2) My diet since Friday as not been so great. It has involved a lot of coffee and a little bit of beer. Perhaps I am a bit dehydrated.

3) It was a warm sunny day. I tend to run much better during the evening.

4) I ran alone and I always feel better with other people. It’s as though we feed off each other’s energy.

My next run is slated for Thursday evening. I will likely run with at least one other person. Right now my foot is a little sore - I hope it feels better by Thursday. I certainly don’t feel like another agonizing 41 minutes. We’ll have to see what happens.

Home and cooled after a busy weekend

2008-07-21T23:22:00.008-04:00

The three of us spent the weekend in Bracebridge for Christine’s family’s annual retreat. We left Friday and returned today. We had a great time with Jonas. He kept us all laughing with his silly antics. One of the cute things he does now is try to feed his food and drink to his stuffies. It’s just adorable to watch.

Saturday morning I arose early and went for a run through beautiful Bracebridge. There were several hills which made it one of the most challenging runs to date. I didn’t run today because we spent most of it travelling and Christine left for work shortly after we returned home. However, I am planning a morning run tomorrow in which I intend to stretch it out to 41 minutes. I’m increasing my distance by 10 per cent a week. On Aug. 10 I am going to run in a 5K race here in Timmins. I suppose I’m in training for the race.

On Saturday afternoon we took a boat cruise on beautiful Lake Muskoka. Jonas not surprisingly was getting a bit restless sitting at our table so I took him to the play area, which basically consisted of a box of toys in a corner. Jonas and I were the only two white people on the bottom floor of the boat. The rest of the people were very friendly tourists from Jamaica. At one point they handed out gifts - applause ensued for the people who received the gifts. As a boat full of Jamaicans were applauding so was Jonas, who was very interested in what was going on. Again, this was very cute.

On Sunday night I met my parents at Casino Rama for the Crosby Stills and Nash concert. The show was about what I expected. I’d seen CSNY twice before, but mostly because of the "Y" factor.

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

The saga of the socks

2008-07-17T23:23:00.003-04:00

Stupid socks!

A few weeks ago I bought a pair of wool running socks for $15 from my friend Lino at Northern Sports. Of course, socks being what they are, it took me two weeks to lose these expensive socks. Until today, they were simply missing. I figured they were in some God forsaken corner of this house and would reveal themselves to me.

I last saw the socks two weeks ago when I threw them in my suitcase in hopes of getting a run in while we were in Cochrane. I didn’t get the run in, but at least my intentions were good. At 6:30 today I decided the socks were lost - figuring Jonas probably took them out of the suitcase in Cochrane and hid them on daddy. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

I was meeting my running partner at Northern Sports anyway, so I figured I’d buy the exact same pair of socks for the low price of $15. I mean, if I’m going to run I’d might as well have the proper socks.

Lino asked me if I checked my suitcase after I told him the story.

"Yes I checked my suitcase!" I replied.

I had a great run, I’m happy to report. Five-plus Km in 34 minutes at a nice pace - not too fast not too slow. The great part was that my running partner and I talked the whole way and I wasn’t winded at all. Time just flew right by. I can’t explain how much more enjoyable running is when you do it with other people. It’s kind of like sex in that regard.

Anyway, when I got home I started packing for our weekend getaway and I found the stupid socks in the friggin' suitcase. They were tucked away in one of the outside compartments. I only noticed them when I felt the lid of the suitcase - it took me a minute or two to figure out how to open the compartment. Along with the socks I found the two rechargeable batteries I was looking for. Bonus!

We are off to Bracebridge this weekend for a getaway with the inlaws. On Sunday I am meeting my dad at Casino Rama to see Crosby Stills and Nash. Oh how I wish young was there too.

All-Star Game Musings

2008-07-16T14:42:00.004-04:00

I stayed up until 1:15 a.m. last night watching the all-star game - and guess what?

I didn’t even see the end of the game.

It took 15 innings and every pitcher on both rosters to decide the game. The AL won 4-3.

I fell asleep on the couch, periodically waking up and thinking "is it over yet" much like a dying person keeps waking up and asking "am I still alive." Still, I have to give myself credit for hanging in there for 14-and-a-half innings.

The best part of the evening was the tribute to the hall-of-famers. It was wonderful to see all those baseball greats tipping their caps to the adoring fans. On a heavier note, did anyone notice how BIG Tony Gwynn has become? Good God. There was an unfortunate shot of his mid-section that revealed his sagging gut. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen another athlete put on so much weight so soon after retiring. A couple of others who come to mind are former NHLer Peter Zezel - who I actually didn’t recognize when he was on Sportsnet recently. I was trying to figure out which fat slob of a reporter he was. That’s the truth. The other is Dale Hunter, former NHLer and current London Knights coach. He clearing enjoyed his first few years of retirement. I should also mention Wendel Clark in this catergory - he’s another athlete who obviously let himself go.

If anyone else has anyone to add to this dubious catergory, please post.

Steven Page busted for cocaine possession

2008-07-15T22:39:00.002-04:00

Steven Page, lead singer for Canadian Band Barenaked Ladies, has been arrested in NY State for possession of cocaine.

Just last week I was musing about the BNL’s wholesome image and how it must be too good to be true. I was thinking about this as they performed songs from their new kids album on Kids CBC, which Jonas and I happened to be watching. Something tells me this is the last kids album they’ll be releasing.

Time to go back to watching the all-star game, where I’m being sold something every three minutes.

A Day with the Polar Bears

2008-07-11T14:56:00.007-04:00

I’m a bit late with this, but the three of us spent last weekend in the lovely town of Cochrane. I knew it would be an exciting weekend when, on our drive up, we passed a moose on the highway. I slowed down for it, and it wandered out in front of us an scampered to the bush. Sorry, no photo available, but trust me it did happen.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the Polar Bear Habitat. We got very close to one of the bears. In fact, we stood face to face with it for a good 10 minutes. Jonas was very interested, of course. He was actually playing peek-a-boo with the bear. He would hide behind our legs, then peek out and giggle at the bear. Very cute.

We stayed over in Cochrane, which seemed like a good idea at the time. And I guess it was a good idea. However, sharing a hotel room with a toddler means we all went to sleep at the same time - about 9 p.m. We kept thinking we could have watched a movie had we driven the hour home. Oh well.

Here are a few pictures from a fun weekend.

This is what I look like after running 5K in 31 minutes

2008-06-27T16:51:00.002-04:00

Thursday was our final group running session. We ran a full 5K and it took me 31 minutes. Afterwards I felt great. What a sense of accomplishment. I ran a strong steady pace yet I wasn’t winded at all. The run actually seemed relaxing. As silly as this sounds, I ran with my legs. What I mean by that is I felt as though I was using my legs to power myself. I’m going to run another 5K tomorrow and then increase my running time next week.

Photo Opp with a toddler

2008-06-26T23:30:00.006-04:00

Here are a few photos I took of Jonas the other day. He was helping his daddy do some yard work.

Mission Accomplished (almost)

2008-06-25T18:05:00.002-04:00

This is the tenth and final week of my running program. On Monday evening we ran for a full 30 minutes at Hersey Lake. The trails were full of hills and rough terrain. It was without question our toughest test yet. Couple that with the fact that I was pushing Jonas in the stroller and it becomes all the more challenging. But let me tell, I loved the experience. What amazes me is how much better I feel each week, even though we are running longer distances.

We are running through Mountjoy tomorrow evening, and then by ourselves on Saturday. Then we’re done with the program, but certainly not finished with running. Those of us who are finishing the course have decided to keep running together. We have built up a real sense of team spirit during the past 10 weeks. We were talking the other night about how difficult running seemed in the first couple of weeks. It’s hard to believe we’ve gone from a minute non-stop to 30 minutes non-stop. Wow!

The Lure of Baseball

2008-06-17T17:21:00.001-04:00

The following is the text of a speech I delivered to the Porcupine Toastmasters in early April. I’m not Barack Obama, but just picture him saying it and it becomes a lot better. OK?

Good evening toastmasters and guests. The most exciting, thrilling moment of my life occurred on October 23rd 1993. I was fortunate enough to be among the 50,000 people at Toronto’s Skydome watching Game 6 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and my beloved Blue Jays. The Blue Jays needed to win the game to capture their second consecutive World Series title.

You couldn’t have written a script with more drama, plot twists, and heart-stopping moments. The Blue Jays led the game 5-1 at one point, but surrendered the lead and trailed 6-5 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. With two men on base, Joe Carter came to bat. With an entire nation holding its breath, Carter hit a home run to give the home side an 8-6 win and back-to-back World Series’ championships.

I’ve been a baseball fan since for as long as I can remember. And on that crisp fall night, 15 years ago, baseball crawled into my soul and will remain there as long as I live. Despite the steroid scandal of recent years, I remain a devout follower of Major League Baseball. And I believe me, I’m not the only one. World-wide interest in baseball is at an all-time high. More people are attending major league baseball games than ever. In 2007, Major League Baseball generated $6 billion in revenue…six billion. So I ask you: Does that sound like a sport that’s in trouble? Ladies and gentlemen, I firmly believe that Major League Baseball is well-positioned to continue its growth and overcome any future scandals that might arise. After all, no other sport maintains a connection to its past, serves as a metaphor for life, or has been a catalyst for social change in America, as baseball has.

One of the reasons why baseball is so appealing is that it maintains a connection to its past. To illustrate this point, let’s look att the stadiums in which the games are played. Major League Baseball has three parks that are more than 80 years old. Boston’s Fenway Park opened in 1912; Wrigley Field in Chicago opened in 1916; and Yankee Stadium in New York opened its gates in 1923. These three stadiums contain the ghosts of some of the game’s greatest stars, and the hopes and dreams of past generations. They are national treasures, permanent monuments to history. Sadly, this is the last season baseball will be played in Yankee Stadium. You cannot stand in the way in progress forever, but the fact that Yankee Stadium has been a fixture for 85 years is a testament of its importance to a city – as well as a nation.

Most other parks, in one form or another, are influenced by baseball stadiums of yesterday. In fact, every stadium constructed since 1992 has a retro-look or feel to it. Some have retractable roofs, but all were designed with a nod to the past. They are intimate – seating less than 45,000 people. They have natural grass surfaces, as opposed to the artificial turf surfaces that become popular in the 60’s and 70’s. As a result, today’s parks are an attraction unto themselves – alive with the sights, sounds and smells of America’s pastime.

The notion of baseball as a metaphor for life is another reason why the sport has endured for more than 100 years. There are four distinct cycles to a baseball season, mirroring the four seasons. Every February, players gather in Florida and Arizona for spring training. Fans in northern cities, watch their teams closely, looking for any sign of hope for the upcoming season, just as they look for signs of a spring they know is coming. The regular season is underway by early April. As the snow melts, and the flowers bloom, so do the hopes of fans. For me, the beginning of the baseball season is a rebirth – a renewal – just as it is for nature. As the days get longer and summer arrives, the games become more important; spirits soar; and the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders. Then comes autumn. With a nip in the air, you can sense the anticipation of the penultimate, the World Series, the Fall Classic. And then it’s over. The deep freeze arrives. Next year, it happens all over again.

As a metaphor for life, consider that being a baseball fan requires a certain amount of faith. Just as we hope that our lives will get better, baseball fans never give up hope that they will live to see their team win the World Series. To wit, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 after 86 years of trying and failing. After the triumph, Red Sox fans visited the graves of loved ones, wanting to share the moment with them. Those who leave us, leave us believing in their team. The Red Sox are a perfect example of hope and faith rewarded.

Finally, it’s important to understand the extent to which baseball has served as a catalyst for social change in the United States. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball, ending 80 years of baseball segregation. At the time, many whites in America still believed that blacks and whites should be kept apart in sports - and daily life. Robinson played in six World Series and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Moreover, he was a forerunner in the civil rights movement. He was an outspoken supporter of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. His influence transcended sport. Following his death in 1972, Jackie Robinson was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom. To its credit, Major League Baseball has never forgotten Jackie Robinson’s contribution to the fabric of American Society. In 1997, baseball honoured Robinson by retiring his number 42.

Most recently, Major League Baseball has instituted an annual Civil Rights game, played at the end of spring training in Memphis Tennessee – home to the National Civil Rights Museum. As part of this year’s game, a panel discussion was held featuring, among others, Hank Aaron and Don Newcombe – two legendary African American players. It was refreshing for me to hear a dialogue on the history and present state of race relations in America. This further served to reinforce the idea that baseball has, and always will be, a force for social change.

In conclusion, let me reiterate that baseball will always rise above scandal. Sure, no one is proud of the steroid era, but the game of baseball will endure. After all, it has a rich history, it serves as a metaphor for life, and it has undeniably influenced the course of American history. Personally, I look forward to a lifetime of baseball memories still to come. Madame Toastmaster.

Run Jeffery Run

2008-06-16T23:02:00.002-04:00

Tonight we started Week 9 of our 10-week running program. I ran 4k in about 26 minutes. I’m not surprised that I ran 4k, but I am surprised at how good I felt afterward. When I started the program, 26 minutes non-stop seemed like a lofty goal. I’m happy to report that I’m hardly out of breath and my knees and feet have been feeling better lately.

I really enjoy the runs with Jonas. He just sits in his stroller and takes everything in. My fellow runners get a big kick out of his laid-back attitude. Most importantly, he reminds me why I got into running in the first place: I was hoping to challenge myself, increase my energy level, and improve my overall health. I’ve done all three.

This is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I encourage everyone to consider becoming a runner. If you have no experience, that’s no big deal. I’d be happy to share the 10-week running program with anyone who’s interested.

Jonas at 20 months

2008-05-22T12:01:00.003-04:00

For your viewing pleasure here’s a video of the little fellow.

Week 5 and still going!

2008-05-19T15:22:00.003-04:00

Well I’ve completed the first four weeks of the learn to run program offered through Northern Sports. Week 5 starts tonight. Here’s the plan for Week 5: Run 8 minutes, walk 1 minute, run eight minutes, walk 2 minutes.

I had a hiccup in the third week when I started experiencing some pain in my feet. However, they’ve felt better since I purchased a new pair of shoes. I’m really determined to compelete the course. By the end of the 10th week, I’ll be running 30 minutes without stopping, which amounts to 5 km.

Fort Albany flooded under

2008-04-26T23:22:00.002-04:00

I spoke with a couple of friends in Fort Albany this morning. Things are not good. The entire community of 800 people is being evacuated because part of the town is quite literally under water. Because the airport is flooded, residents are being ferried over to Kash so they can catch a plane out. It brings back memories of when we were evacuated to Moosonee in 2006. Christine and I, along with the hospital patients, took off in a 6-seater at 3 a.m. What an experience that was. Sometimes I cannot believe what we went through living up there. We wouldn’t trade in the experience for the world though.

Christine and I are taking a learn to run course through Northern Sports. It’s a 10-week course and when we’re done we’ll be able to run 30 minutes without stopping. I think I could manage that now, but it is nice to learn proper technique and get advice from experts. My goal is to someday run a half marathon. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

The Jays are awful, terrible, horrible these days. They’ve lost six in a row and are 10-15 on the season. It isn’t worth commenting on any further, other than to say there’s something fascinating about watching them implode.

A perfectly lovely day

2008-04-21T22:22:00.002-04:00

Today it was 25 degrees in Timmins. It is finally starting to feel like spring. It’s amazing how a spring day can make your spirits soar. I decided to take a day off from churning out stories and getting my business off the ground to enjoy the nice weather with Jonas. We decided to go mall walking. As I browsed through the CD shop and bookstore, I thought of the times back in Toronto when I was free to do so anytime I wanted. I actually had deep and meaningful thoughts about music and books. In the CD store I looked through a book called "1000 albums to hear before you die." It made me realize that I’m in a musical rut. I’m not enjoying music like I used to. It seems I spend all my time caring for Jonas, working, and thinking about sports. Need to think more about music...need to listen to more of it.

On Frank Thomas and the Blue Jays

2008-04-20T12:09:00.003-04:00

So, I spend quite a bit of time thinking about the Blue Jays, who just today released Frank Thomas, who started the season slowly with a .167 average. The Jays are going to justify his release as a baseball move, claiming that he wasn’t producing. While that’s true, he has always started slowly. He started slowly last year and that didn’t seem to be a big issue. Truthfully, if Thomas came to bat 376 times this season his contract would have renewed itself for next season. The Blue Jays rightfully didn’t want to pay a 42 year old something like $9 million for producing very little.

As a fan, I’m not at all happy that Shannon Stewart, Matt Stairs and Adam Lind are going to comprise our LF an DH positions. The first two always seem to be injured and Lind didn’t play well as a rookie last season. As Buck Martinez put it on MLB this morning on XM, that’s not a championship caliber outfield. I love Buck, but he does have an ax to grind with our GM. Who knows? Maybe this works itself out for the best, but I’m not holding my breath. Of course, I still think they should have kept Reed Johnson, who went 4-for-4 in a game for the Cubs this week.

Here’s what else I’m not happy about re: the Blue Jays:

- This is J.P.’s 7th season as GM and I’m starting to get the feeling that it will be wait til next year...again.

- I don’t like the fact that we have a roided out (OK, possibly) starting catcher you couldn’t throw me out.

- David Eckstein does all the little things right, and he’s scrappy, but he isn’t the answer long-term at SS. Can this organization develop a SS please!!!

- I still feel as though this team is very comfortable finishing in third place. It’s like they’re afraid to succeed. It starts at the top, with Ted Rogers, and works its way down to the players.

- I still think we have a minor-league manager who will never lead this team or any other to the post-season.

OK, that’s it for now...Jays play the Tigers this afternoon. Go BJ’s!

Juno is a great great movie

2008-04-19T23:16:00.002-04:00

OK, I’m back. I haven’t felt much like writing the past few months. It likely has to do with the fact that I’ve been doing quite bit of freelance writing. In truth, writing is becoming more and more of a chore, likely a clue that I need to find a new line of work. Let’s just say that I’m looking and will hopefully have some news shortly.

Just wanted to mention that we rented the film "Juno" tonight. Wow, I can’t begin to tell you how much I LOVED it. I was a bit cynical about the hype surrounding it. I feared it would be a glorification of teenage pregnancy, not that I have anything against pregnant teens. I guess in some ways it was. However, the movie simply cannot be criticized for its morality. If anything, it seemed to be pro-life in a subtle, kind of noble and rational way. This movie is a must-see. It’s a conversation starter for a number of subjects. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen in a long long time.

I’m super excited for Saturday

2007-12-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

On Saturday I'm going to my first Kirkland Lake Legion 87's home game in almost 19 years. And I couldn't be more excited.

As a child, the Legion 87's and the Toronto Maple Leafs were my favourite hockey teams. They would compete for my loyalty on Saturday nights. Fortunately, the 87's games started at 6:30. Hence I could still catch some of the Leafs' game.

I last saw the Legion play at home in February of 1989. It was the fourth game of a first-round playoff series against Rayside-Balfour. Trailing 2-1 in the series best-of-five series, the 87's received four goals from a 15-year-old named Marc Demers to force a fifth game the next weekend in Rayside - a game in which they lost. I couldn't have predicted I'd go 19 years without seeing them play at home again. There's no way I could have know we'd move to Lindsay later that year. At the time, I had no idea how long 19 years felt. Now I know.

In truth, I’ve been dreaming about this day for years. It’s now at the point where the dreams seem incredibly real. You know, the type of dream where you conciously tell yourself that it’s not a dream. Very bizarre stuff.

I just checked and found out that Kirkland Lake beat New Liskeard 4-1 tonight in Liskeard - the first of a weekend home and home. It will mean a lot to me if the 87’s beat the Cubs again tomorrow night, something they should be able to do. The most important thing for me, however, is that the atmosphere at the game not be disappointing. I understand that the 87’s draw very well, so I’m anticipating an involved crowd. It will surely be interesting to see how I feel as I walk through the arena doors. As I said to Christine earlier, I will probably feel happy to have made it back alive.

We’ll never remember what we’ve forgotten

2007-11-16T22:55:00.000-05:00

Every so often I wonder what it would be like to see my life played back to me on a TV screen. I wonder what it would be like to relive a month when I was 10 - or any other month in my life. Would I be shocked about how little I actually remember? Or would I actually remember those seemingly fleeting moments? What would it mean to me to realize how much of my life I’ve forgotten? This is what I think about when I have rare moment to myself...

The Timmins Majors baffle me to no end

2007-10-27T22:26:00.000-04:00

I just got back from the Majors game, a game they lost 6-2 to the North Bay Trappers. The score was tied 2-2 after one period and North Bay held a 3-2 lead after two stanzas. The Majors fell apart early in the third period and the game was essentially over.

First, let me focus on the Trappers and how very impressed I was by them. The team is coached by former OHLer and North Bay native Robin Boucher. I like to think I know a well-coached team when I see one, and NB is a well-coached squad. Unlike the Majors, their defence moves the puck well; they have a good power play; they play with discipline; and their goaltending appears to be solid.

A few of their OHL draft eligible players stand out to me:

Ryan Leckie - a 6-foot-2 defenceman who is among the league leaders in scoring among defencemen. I would imagine that scouts are looking at him because of his size and stats. He scored a goal tonight from the top of the crease, which tells me he isn’t afraid to jump into the play down low. He skates fairly well, but he isn’t overly physical. I get the sense, however, that he’s a fairly intelligent player.

Mitchell Davis - a centre who goes about 5-foot-11. I was watching him closely because he’s averaging about a goal a game as a 15 year old. Davis is an awkward skater to say the least. His stride is choppy and he’s first few steps are pretty slow. I did like his hockey sense, though. He always seemed to be around the net, trying to put himself in scoring position.

Tanner Davis - he played goal tonight and played well, even though he let in softie in the first period - a long shot off the stick of Ryan Ouellet. I liked his composure - that was the last goal he allowed. He seems technically sound and recovers well after making a save. He’s about 5-foot-11, so he fills the net well.

I was impressed by another player, Darnell Koosees - and not just because he’s native. He scored a goal and added two assists. He’s 15 and well down on the Trappers’ depth chart, but he played with confidence, taking the puck to the net when he got the chance. I always like to see role players play well.

OK, back to the Majors. I was disappointed when NB star Nick Huard took out Byron Katapaytuk with a knee-on-knee hit that went unpenalized. No one stood up to challenge Huard as Byron was on the ice writhing in pain. I notice the Majors targeting Huard in the third period, but that was probably because he was still getting under their skin.

The Majors host the New Liskeard Cubs tomorrow and will try to end a four-game homestand with a win. They’re 0-3 so far. If I go, I may actually root for New Liskeard. The Cubs are well behind the Majors in the standings - I always enjoy cheering for an underdog.

I hate the Leafs’ new sweaters!

2007-10-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

I’m having trouble watching the Leafs these days - and it has nothing to do with the fact that they’re terrible in their own end.

I can’t stand the fact that they re-designed their sweaters, eliminating the stripes at the bottom. It makes the sweater look boring and unofficial - not unlike a practice sweater. When I watch the games on TV, it looks as though all the players have tucked their sweaters into their pants. I guess this is what passes as "sleek."

I can’t help but notice that the other original six teams made little or no changes to their sweaters when the NHL and Reebok unveiled the new "Edge" sweaters this season. Could it be that the Leafs sensed a cash grab opportunity and pounced? I wonder how many fans who bought a new sweater in the past couple of years rushed out to by the new one?

That’s my complaint for the day.

A Great Hockey Game

2007-10-20T22:17:00.000-04:00

Here’s something for the hockey nuts out there...

I just returned from a fantastic hockey game at the Mac. The Soo North Stars beat the Timmins Majors 4-2 in Great North Midget League action.

I was fearing that the game would be a blowout. The Stars (9-1-0-0) are in second place in the nine-team league. They’d outscored their opponents 93-15 entering the game. The Majors were a respectable 4-1-0-1. However, they had only played one game against a .500 team, and that was an 11-1 loss to first-place Sudbury.

Tonight was the first time I’ve been impressed with the Majors. While they have good size, they are also a plodding team. They don’t have a great deal of team speed and their defence isn’t particularly mobile. I’m not crazy about their goaltending either - it’s like their goalies are allergic to the puck. I question how well coached they are too. They often seem disorganized on the ice. Tonight they struggled on the powerplay. I was starting to wonder if they even practice the powerplay.

Well, the two teams play again tomorrow afternoon and I think I will take Jonas. He’s been to a couple of games with me, and we’ve really enjoyed ourselves. I think it’s good that he gets out in public, even if he’s at the squirmy can’t sit still stage.

What Happened to Toronto?

2007-10-09T16:42:00.000-04:00

This is Jeff again. I've decided to resume blogging again - mainly because it was a condition of Mike giving us a ride back to our hotel room from Martyn's wedding on Saturday night. Thanks for reading this Mike!

In the three days we spent in Toronto, I kept wondering if Torontonians have always been this annoying, or whether two years spent living in the middle of the bush has changed me. Probably a little from Column A, and a little from Column B. My biggest pet peeve continues to be the self-absorbed people who walk and talk on their cell phones with little regard to what is going on around them? Honestly, what did we as a society do before the advent of the mobile phone? Worse now, is the person who walks down a crowded sidewalk while texting - oblivious to everything going on around them. I can't tell you how many times I had to get out of the way of someone with their head buried in a PDA. This is enough to make me never want to leave Northern Ontario again. God, how old have I become?

Its a mad, mad world

2007-08-12T21:36:00.000-04:00

Did I miss a meeting? Am I the only sane person left? Doesnt anything have meaning anymore?

Case in point: Last weekend Jeff and I were driving back from Kirkland Lake, on a curvy road at night. The posted speed limit was 80km, we were doing a safe 90-100km. We were passed by everything on four wheels, including little old ladies! Now, no one would ever accuse Jeff and I of being speed demons, in fact you might even say we are slow drivers. We do the speed limit or not very much over. All this passing got me thinking, how fast should a person go? How much over the limit is acceptable, and why should we go over the speed limit? What is the point of having speed limits if no one obeys? I know it is just speeding and some would say we should keep up with the flow of traffic. I still wonder what kind of example speeding sets for my son--since when is it ok to pick and choose the laws we are going to obey? Just because everyone else does it, doesn't mean it is ok for us to do it. If everyone started killing each other, would that make it right? I know I shouldnt compare speeding with murder, although if you kill someone while speeding.... Incidently, this is the reason I never jay walk or cross on a red light, much to the chagrin of my friends :) The law is the law.

I also wonder when people stopped doing what they say they are going to do. Another case in point: Jeff writes a column for Sympatico (Bell). He signed a contract in which he agreed to write a weekly column and they in turn would pay him within 50 days of receiving an invoice. Jeff started writing in Februrary, and has been paid once. At the time of this writing, Bell was 4 months behind paying Jeff. Like a good soldier, Jeff kept writing his column, and continues to get the run around from Bell. First they told him the invoices had to be in Word format (It took 2 months for them to tell him that--all of his invoices had to be re-submitted) Now each time Jeff asks about payment, he is told "We are looking into it" No word on when payment should be expected--Anyone know a good lawyer?

Sometimes I worry about what kind of a world Jonas will grow up in. How can I teach him to take responsiblity, honour his commitments and be an upstanding man? Oh wow listen to me I am way too young to be this jaded :) Still though, It never hurts to have a reminder that we all share this world and it is up to us to make it better. So please, drive slow, and Bell, my son is starving, please pay my husband!!!

Dawn of a new day

2007-08-04T22:30:00.000-04:00

Surprise!!

For those of you expecting to see Jeffs posting, I have taken over, at least for now. Between Jeffs column and his job, he is running out things to write about, so I have decided to take over. Enjoy!!

I have been a mom now for almost 11 months. I wont say that the transition has been easy--I know, it never is. The last 11 months have been filled with ups and downs and I have struggled with some major feelings of sadness and incompetence. I have decided like so many first time moms out there to start writing to deal with some of the feelings that go along with first time motherhood.

For my first posting, I would like to share with you the top 10 things I wish someone had told me about having a baby (in no particular order):

1. Your hips stay that size--yep, your hip hugger jeans will be a long time fitting again

2. Having a baby makes you hate your husband--I dont know if its hormones, but one day you look at him and think--Wow! how could I marry someone like him (Don't worry though, it passes--eventually. Right, Jeff honey :) )

3. Your stomach will look like a 3D road map-complete with canyons and rivers

4. Your normally wonderful parents turn into grandparents!!--Ok I knew that one, but still I was not prepared for such wisdom as "Your baby cant tell you when hes cold" and "I used to worry about you and the baby but then I realized your are not a complete idiot and probably wont screw up too much"--Love you too, mom

5. Fundal Massage is not nearly as fun as it sounds

6. Your biggest joy will be when your baby stops pooing green

7. You will proudly wear baby vomit/urine/feeces as though they were the latest acessory--Lets see Paris Hilton top that!

8. You will never have sex again--see points 2 and 3

9. Sleep is for idiots

10. When the sun finally shines agian, you will shut the blinds and go to sleep.

My love and praise to all the Mommies out there!! As a wise friend once said, Mommies are the best!!

A Day at The Beach!

2007-07-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we spent the afternoon at Hershey Lake - only about 15 minutes from our home. We took Jonas swimming for the first time, and he seemed to enjoy himself. Here are a few pictures.

This is the funniest thing I have ever read

2007-07-23T15:34:00.001-04:00

I had to read this article by Bill Simmons of espn.com in incriments to avoid causing internal damage to myself from laughing so hard. It has to do with the recent NHL draft. He pokes fun at Canadians in good fun, I trust.

Click here to read the article

Mould Problems in Fort Albany

2007-07-22T22:13:00.000-04:00

Fort Albany made front page news for all the wrong reasons last week. It turns out there is a serious mould problem in a number of houses in the community, many of which are under 10 years old. It made me think of a student of mine, a very bright and engaging woman. The house she and her three daughters were living in was infested with mold. It was clearly having a negative impact on her health.

Scott Paradis of the Daily Press has done some excellent reporting on the story.

Click here for the latest

Carnival Time

2007-07-07T23:21:00.000-04:00

What a fun day! It was Christine’s birthday, so we had to celebrate. We went to check out the carnival at the Timmins Square. We saw a lot of people we know from Fort Albany. Not surprising because Timmins is known as Albany south.

I took Jonas for his first ride on the horses. We later went to the Fish Bowl for dinner. Jonas is sound asleep now on the rec room floor. He is pooped from a day excitement. Here are some pictures.

Today's List: Canada's 50 Largest Towns and Cities By Area

2007-07-06T14:30:00.000-04:00

Timmins was once Canada's largest city in terms of area. That honour, however, now belongs to Wood Buffalo, Alberta. Courtesy of Wikipedia, here are the largest cities and towns by square kilometres.

1. Wood Buffalo, Alberta 63400.51
2. La Tuque, Quebec 29696.83
3. Senneterre, Quebec 16524.88
4. Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec 6435.64
5. Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia 5490.90
6. Val-d'Or, Quebec 3958.13
7. Greater Sudbury, Ontario 3354.34
8. Kawartha Lakes, Ontario 3059.22
9. Timmins, Ontario 2961.52
10. Greenstone, Ontario 2780.56
11. Ottawa, Ontario 2778.64
12. Chatham-Kent, Ontario 2457.97
13. Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia 2434.39
14. Queens, Nova Scotia 2397.59
15. Gillam, Manitoba 1988.51
16. Sept-Îles, Quebec 1969.42
17. West Nipissing, Ontario 1909.67
18. Temagami, Ontario 1906.42
19. Norfolk County, Ontario 1606.95
20. Killarney, Ontario 1513.30
21. Gaspé, Quebec 1446.95
22. Leaf Rapids, Manitoba 1272.87
23. Haldimand County, Ontario 1252.37
24. Snow Lake, Manitoba 1211.89
25. Saguenay, Quebec 1166.00
26. Hamilton, Ontario 1117.11
27. Port-Cartier, Quebec 1073.70
28. Prince Edward County, Ontario 1049.99
29. Chibougamau, Quebec 1041.97
30. Lynn Lake, Manitoba 910.23
31. Brant, Ontario 845.49
32. Shawinigan, Quebec 781.81
33. Mont-Laurier, Quebec 756.41
34. French River, Ontario 734.15
35. Huntsville, Ontario 703.29
36. Calgary, Alberta 701.79
37. Elliot Lake, Ontario 698.12
38. Caledon, Ontario 687.04
39. Edmonton, Alberta 683.88
40. Huron East, Ontario 669.16
41. Laurentian Hills, Ontario 640.41
42. Rivière-Rouge, Quebec 626.40
43. Toronto, Ontario 629.91
44. Bracebridge, Ontario 617.47
45. Clarington, Ontario 611.06
46. Red Lake, Ontario 610.30
47. Iroquois Falls, Ontario 599.42
48. Meaford, Ontario 589.03
49. Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec 546.73
50. Quebec City, Quebec 544.75

New Pictures Added

2007-06-25T22:49:00.000-04:00

I have added some new pictures of Jonas in our photo album. I just realized we haven’t taken a single picture of Jonas since we moved to Timmins. I’ll have to get the camera out tomorrow and take some. He has changed a lot in the last month. He is starting to look more and more like a little boy, rather than a baby. He is developing his own personality; as you can see by the photos he has a very expressive face.

Jonas and I are home alone right now because Christine is working at the clinic at TDH. I got home from work at 5 and had an hour together as a family. Christine left at 6 my second job began. Jonas and I ate our dinner together, then he played while I clean the kitchen. Tonight we went for a walk down the street (I walked, he sat in the stroller). We came home and played a bit, then went for our nightly bath. He went to sleep fairly easily tonight.

I think we can make this working thing work. It is nice to have two incomes without having to ship Jonas to a sitter or daycare. Plus, we both get a lot of one-on-one time with the boy. In the coming years, I’m sure I’ll cherish this time together, as hectic as it may be.

What a Weekend!

2007-06-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

What a fun weekend this was. A bunch of us, close to 30, went to Boston for Martyn’s stag. I flew out of Timmins at the ridiculous hour of 6 a.m. Saturday and arrived in Boston right on time at 12:08 p.m. I met up the with boys at the HoJo Fenway Park and we headed out for the game. And what a game it was. The Red Sox beat San Francisco 1-0 in a fantastic pitching duel between Dice-K Matsuzaka and Matt Cain. There were countless big moments in the game, which had the crowd on its feet. I love Fenway Park - just love it. It oozes tradition. You can smell the grass if you get close enough to the field. It was a gorgeous afternoon for a game. We couldn’t have asked for a better time.

We hit the town last night. It was tonnes o’ fun. It was great to spend time with the guys again, especially Martyn and Mikey. I flew home today and was reunited with Christine and Jonas. It was my first father’s day. A real special time to be sure.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. More can be found on my Facebook page.

So far, so good

2007-05-30T10:57:00.000-04:00

Our life in Timmins began last Thursday and we’ve been busy, but not too busy, ever since. We almost didn’t get out of Fort Albany on Thursday because our charter plane was unable to land because of cloud cover. Our plane was one of those plans without radar. The pilot flew over Albany and headed back to Timmins. He tried again later in the day, and this time he was successful. It took us over an our to get our stuff loaded, but the flight went well. We arrived in Timmins around 6 p.m., loaded what we could into our rental van, then headed for home. Funny story: I locked the keys inside the house, thinking I had them with me. Turns out it was the key to the rental van I felt in my pocket. We were on our way to Wal-Mart, so I phoned a locksmith when we got there, thinking we would get dinged something fierce. Well, Bob was very nice - and said he’d send Mike right over. When I arrived back at the house, Mike had unlocked the door for me already. He said I didn’t owe him anything because Bob said he knew me. I told Bob I would like to get the lock re-keyed, so he said he would waive the unlocking fee for me. Mike came back yesterday to re-key the locks for us. I was really impressed at how accomodating they were. I am finding out really fast how nice everyone in Timmins is. It’s a Northern Ontario thing.

Christine’s parents visited on the weekend and delivered our limited furniture and other personal affects. Otherwise, we have enjoyed shopping for new furniture. We are just about finished. Just need to get a dresser or two.

Jonas and the pets have adjusted well. They all have much more room to explore their surroundings. We haven’t had much of a chance to check out the neighbourhood yet, but hopefully the weather will co-operate in the next few days.

Five More Sleeps

2007-05-19T22:00:00.001-04:00

We are in the final days of our life in Fort Albany. Life begins for real on Thursday when we move into our new house with our son, our dog and our cat. I am excited to be moving on - snow in the middle of May will do that. We have decided to charter a plan to move ourselves and our stuff out of here. Hopefully James Bay General will reimburse us for most of the cost. Off the top of my head, here are some of the things I am most looking forward to about living in Timmins.

1) High-speed internet: It makes me 20 minutes to download a song from iTunes, longer from Limewire.

2) Shopping in an actual grocery store and paying reasonable prices for food.

3) Wearing nice clothes to work. Dress pants and dress shoes just don’t seem necessary in Albany.

4) Going to hockey games.

5) Not having to get on a plane to leave town.

6) Not having to get on a plane to get an x-ray.

7) Horton’s Baby!!!!

8) Being near a vet (and not having to perform those operations ourselves)

9) Meeting a whole new set of friends (not that we don’t love the ones here)

10) Being close to KL

11) Having a choice in radio stations

12) Being in our own home

13) Being in the same town as a bank

14) Eating in restaurants

15) Going to a movie theatre

16) Going to a shopping mall

17) Having our parents visit

18) Getting a family doctor

19) Being able to drive down south on a whim

20) Taking Jonas to the beach

21) Camping in a provincial park

22) Day trips to other Northern communities

24) The possibility of joining a gym

25) Pavement

I am employed!

2007-05-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

I am the new policy and communications director with the Timmins Chamber of Commerce. I found out via email on Friday. It’s a funny story - I was staying off the internet all afternoon to receive the news, good or bad. By 4:45, I was disappointed not to have heard. Christine asked if I had checked my email. I checked it, and low and behold, I was emailed the job offer three hours earlier. I was super excited - just thrilled that Christine and Jonas were there when I found out. My first day is June 4, giving me a week and a bit to get settled in Timmins. Things look as though they are coming together nicely.

Job Update

2007-05-10T10:17:00.000-04:00

I am back in Fort Albany today after a brief trip to Timmins for a job interview with the Timmins Chamber of Commerce yesterday. I interviewed for the newly-created position of policy and communications co-ordinator. I was interviewed by Chamber manager Keitha Robson and incoming president Marilyn Wood. In my mind, the interview went extremely well - as well as I could have hoped. The atmosphere was relaxed; there was some friendly banter between the formal questions. We talked about everything from my family, to my reasons for moving to Timmins, to my love for Northern Ontario.

I impressed myself in the interview. I was a little unsure about how I would perform under pressure, having been at home with Jonas for the last month and not having much face-to-face conduct with people. However, I felt something come alive inside me, a certain intangible, a confidence. I smiled a lot and wasn’t afraid to make jokes throughout the conversation. They complimented me on my lucky blue shirt at the beginning of the interview, something I referenced a couple of times later on. I also told the story of how I bought new shoes the night before. At the end of the interview, as I was leaving, Keitha said: "Hey, those are nice shoes."

They also told me I was one of 35 people who applied for the position. I had been wondering how many people I was up against. Eight of us were selected to write a position paper; five people were then picked for an interview. Whether I get the job or not, it is a huge confidence boost to know I made the top five. As I told Christine, I won’t be crushed if I don’t get the job. Instead, I will be stronger for the experience as I look for a job in Timmins. There are 600 businesses in the Chamber; Marilyn and Keitha I’m sure will be valuable resources for me going forward.

They said they would let me know either way by Monday at the latest. A bit of encouraging news is that they contacted my references yesterday. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I’m a stay-at-home dad

2007-04-30T21:05:00.000-04:00

When you live where I live, you sometimes get the feeling the world is very small. Sometimes I feel like the only man in the world who is staying at home with his child. I am only starting to realize that this is 2007 and attitudes toward men staying at home have changed dramatically. In my case, I quit my job to do so - I am not on parental leave. I have therefore entered the abyss, not knowing where or when I will be working next. It is kind of frightening. I have done a lot of thinking on the subject and have come to the conclusion that staying at home is a much more rewarding position than any job I have ever had. Suppose we were living in suburb, the only part of the GTA where we could afford a home - and even then we would be stretched pretty thin. Well, it is unlikely I would get home from work before 6 pm. When you consider that Jonas goes to bed at 7, that would leave me with no more than an hour to spend with him each day. How sad is that?

I am so happy to have this bonding time with Jonas. We are getting to know each other very well. I have become quite adept at getting him to go to sleep with minimal fuss. I love how it feels to have him fall asleep in my arms. He lets out the cutest little sigh just before he falls asleep, and then I hear a very quiet snore. I consider it a victory each time I get him to go down.

Being a stay-at-home parent is much more challenging than working outside the home. The only breaks I get are when Jonas goes for a nap, which on a good day happens twice and lasts for about an hour each time. I treasure the quiet time when he sleeps. You have no idea how nice it is to have time to decompress and rejuvinate myself for the oncoming storm. There are times, however, when I have to get some work done for my column. I do most of my writing after he’s gone to bed, but there are instances when I have to make phone calls or conduct interviews. Last week I was on a conference call with Ottawa coach Bryan Murray. And guess what? Yep, Jonas was between naps. I held Jonas in my lap, hoping he wouldn’t fuss, but of course he did. So, I did what any parent would do - I put my finger in his mouth and prayed that would do the trick. It didn’t. I managed to get through the call without major incident. I guess Jonas had a few questions of his own for Murray.

Jonas is now crawling enthusiatically and can hold himself up rather nicely, as you can see in this picture. This is my favourite because it really demonstrates the joy he exhibits every day.

Soon We’ll Be Leaving

2007-04-23T22:45:00.000-04:00

Well, we are looking at moving to Timmins on May 24. Christine gave her notice to the hospital today and I let the college know last week that I will not be returning next semester. I am a little miffed that nobody at the college has bothered to acknowledge my resignation, but I guess that’s the way it goes. I am more excited about moving than Christine. We are both attached to Fort Albany in similar and different ways. From Christine’s perspective, she is sad to leave after just returning to work this month. I, on the other hand, was left with a sour taste in my mouth at the end of the last semester. I found out there were a few students who were not happy with the way I was teaching. I can accept that, but truthfully I bent over backwards to help these students through personal struggles. It leaves me with the feeling that my best will never be good enough. That’s the biggest challenge with teaching: you always feel that you could be doing more. It’s a horrible thing to feel.

There’s also the isolation factor I’m dealing with. I spend each and every day looking after Jonas, which is great. However, it leaves little time for me to do anything else. Even taking Jonas over to the school is a challenge because I have him on such a tight schedule. Sure, I know very few people in Timmins, but at least I will have the prospect of a new job or doing volunteer work in order to meet people. Timmins...get ready cause we’re coming’.

Two Weeks Down

2007-04-14T15:12:00.000-04:00

I have completed my first two weeks as a stay-at-home father, and I have to say that I am loving it. Jonas and I are getting along famously - he seems interested in what I have to say, and I in turn hang on his every ga-ga and goo-goo. On days when Christine has been working, I’ve been getting up with her around 6:15 am. I take the dog out, eat breakfast, drink my coffee and read whatever it is that needs reading, listen to CBC radio and watch Sportsnet Connected with the sound off - and wait for the little guy to wake up. He wakes up between 8:30 and 9. We play for a few minutes and then I feed him his (breast) milk and cereal. The milk doesn’t come from my breast. He plays and I putter for a while and then he’s usually ready for a nap by 10:30. While he’s napping, daddy goes on the internet, reads over the previous night’s baseball box scores and gets his Facebook fix, the first of many for the day. Christine comes home at 11:30, feeds Jonas and herself and then goes back to work. We play, I feed him lunch, he naps, Christine feeds him at 4:30, he plays and then maybe naps while I eat my dinner. Christine doesn’t get home until after 8 p.m., so it is a pretty long day together. Feed, play, nap. You get the idea.

I am busy applying for jobs in Timmins, jobs I might actually enjoy. Christine is in real demand in T-Town, so it might actually be her job that moves us there. We are looking the May 24 weekend as a possible moving date. I guess we’re in no real rush, but I am anxious to get moved into the new house and do the type of things that men do around the house, like cut the lawn and fix things that need fixin’.

Snowed Under!

2007-04-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

Well, we are getting hammered by the worst snowstorm of the winter - in April. It has been snowing non-stop for the past three days. It is a nice excuse for me to delay the start of my running season. I’m confident I’ll be able to find other "reasons" to keep putting it off.

I have added some new photos of Jonas to the album to go along with the ones below.

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Anatomy of a Deal

2007-04-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

Well, we closed the deal on our house last Friday, and of course it was not without hitches and glitches. The bottom line is that we regret even considering going with an ING DIRECT mortgage. Let me just say they are not for everyone, and certainly not for us. With only two weeks to close the deal, we were forced to jump through hoops every step of the way, and after our "mortgage specialist" assured us we had been approved, it seemed there was always another document to send. It was a nightmare, to be frank. It felt like we were begging for a mortgage. Just a horrible experience.

To may a long story short, we phoned our real estate agent Debbie Kolli at about 1 p.m. on Friday to devise a fallback plan. She made a call to Cindy Gutcher at ScotiaBank in Timmins, and the wheels were set in motion. Keep in mind, we were thinking our lawyer’s office would phone any minute to tell us ING had advanced our money. At 2 p.m., when our "mortgage specialist" hadn’t returned our latest phone call, we headed over to ScotiaBank. Cindy told us she phoned head office in Toronto and said they could get the money to us in two hours. Cindy, along with Jeannie Deadman, took our documents that we had already sent to ING two weeks earlier and reviewed them. Everything was in order. All they had to do was verify that Christine was returning to work on Monday. A quick call to her boss confirmed as much. All they needed was a pay stub from me, no letter of employment or notice of assessments were needed. While we were sitting in Jeannie’s office, our specialist from ING finally phoned back. It’s a long story, but basically they weren’t ready to give us our mortgage because they still needed an authorized person to write a letter stating that my contract was indeed going to be renewed. We told the guy we were moving on to another mortgage company. Man, was that sweet. It was so nice that ING didn’t get our business. And our mortgage rate was actually better with ScotiaBank!

Anyway, everything worked out in the end. ScotiaBank got us our money just before the deadline to register the title. The lesson learned: ING bad; ScotiaBank good.

Don’t think, just do

2007-03-25T11:24:00.000-04:00

Our days in Fort Albany might be coming to an end.

We have two one-way tickets to Timmins booked for next Thursday. We are going to move as much of our belongings into our new house as possible. We will spend about 10 days in Timmins, during which time we plan to shop for appliances and furniture and just maybe get a job or two. I am still waiting to hear about the job I interviewed for a couple of weeks back. If I’m offered the job, and the conditions are acceptable, then we’ll stay in Timmins. If I cannot secure a job, we’ll return to Fort Albany where Christine will go back to work at the hospital and I’ll teach part-time for the College and stay home with Jonas on days I don’t work. I also have my freelance writing to occupy myself with, which I can work away at while looking after the little guy.

Our house closes next Friday and we have signed off on the conditions. It was a stressful week, finalizing our mortage and getting home insurance. We think everything is coming together, but we don’t really no what to expect. One thing is for sure: next Friday we’ll be handing over the biggest check of our lives. Yikes!

An Incredible Few Days

2007-03-18T14:39:00.001-04:00

Well, the past few days have been exciting, and we’re still trying to catch our breath over the exhileration. Christine and I made a conditional offer that was accepted on a house in Timmins on Thursday. This is our first home, and much like the birth of our first child, it’s a special event.

The house is a three-bedroom, four-level backsplit (whatever that means) in the Mount Joy area of Timmins, which is one of the preferred neighbourhoods. The house meets our needs perfectly - it is about 1,800 or so square feet with a mostly finished basement. The part of the basement that is finished is extremely big and bright, and has the feel of a living room rather than a basement. We would have hoped for a bigger backyard, but you can’t have everything.

We don’t have a moving date as of yet. Truth be told, we settled on Timmins as a place to live because job prospects look really good for Christine, with every nursing agency including the hospital crying out for RNs. I have a few irons in the fire as well. We wanted to buy now before the market heats up in the spring which would mean paying more. We ended up winning a bidding war for our house, feeling strongly that this house is the one for us.

Christine is going back to work from Mat leave on April 2, and I am hoping to job share my Northern College teaching job with someone in order to stay home with Jonas when Christine has to work. That is our plan as of right now.

Cheap shot of the year goes to Cam Janssen

2007-03-03T13:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Fort Albany, where, sans wife and boy, I have continued my hockey viewing in earnest. I have watched a game every day since for 10 straight days. Last night I watched the Atlanta Thrashers defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-2, rallying for 3 goals in third to do so. It was truly a bizarre game, mainly because the ice was so bad that completing a pass was a major challenge. There’s still something I don’t like about the Senators. They just don’t seem to play with much urgency. Is it just me, or are Alfredsson, Spezza and Redden overrated? I am tempted to include Heatley in that category, but he does have 40 goals this season after scoring 50 last year.

I wished I could have watched the Leafs-Devils game, but Star Choice blacks out all the games in the "Leafs Region", much to my chagrin. The lowlight of the game was the inexplicable cheap shot Cam Janssen perpetrated on Tomas Kaberle, sending him off the ice on a stretcher. Good gracious, that was vicious - and there was no penalty called on the play because it was so far behind the play. Kaberle had just delivered a pass up ice from his own blueline when Janssen came at him late and delivered what appeared to be an elbow to his head. It may have been a shoulder - I will have to check the replay again. At any rate, it was ridiculously late, and it was a complete blindside. Kaberle couldn’t see him coming at all. It reminded me somewhat of Domi’s hit on Niedermayer in the 2001 playoffs. I haven’t heard any analysis on the hit yet, so this is my unfiltered opinion. Janssen should be suspended, no question. But for how many games? I would say this a 15-gamer, minimum. The league obviously has a duty to protect its players. Anything less, in my opinion, is a farce.

Diet update: I weighed in on Thursday and have lost another pound. That makes 2 pounds in four weeks. Sure, it’s not like the pounds are falling off me, but 2 pounds a month over several months is my aim. Most importantly, my changed eating habits haven’t left me famished. I am finding that a fruit salad or jello is just as satisfying as ice cream; purefied water is just as good as pop or other sugared beverages; fruit is a good replacement for granola bars; eggs make a better lunch than canned foods or processed meats. I haven’t increased my exercise yet. I am hoping to get back into running once the weather gets nice. Rex, the marathon runner, has offered to run with me, but I would not be able to keep up.

Jonathan Cheechoo article in ESPN Magazine

2007-03-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

If you access the link on the right, you can read a fantastic magazine article about Jonathan Cheechoo, his family’s history, and the community of Moose Factory. It is probably the best article I’ve ever read about Jonathan. It is written by Gare Joyce.

Peggy Shaughnessy: Wow

2007-02-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

Every so often, guest speakers come through town. Some are enlightning; others are forgettable. And then there’s Peggy Shaughnessy, who spoke today at the Peetabeck Health and Wellness Conference. Peggy Shaughnessy is Mohawk, she’s a researcher at Trent University, she’s the daughter of a prostitute, she has worked with the worst of the worst criminals in Canada - including Paul Bernardo, she was called in to fix the situation when there were 53 stabbings in 51 days at Millhaven Maximum Security, she used to run drugs for Satan’s Choice, she’s a mother and grandmother. How’s that for an intro?

I wish the entire community could have been there today. She addressed issues surrounding family violence (she hates the term domestic violence). Peggy basically said that things can’t continue as they are on First Nations reserves, and it’s up to the young people to change things. In a powerful presentation, she read Crown Attorney crime reports from reserves in Northwestern Ontario. It was incredibly sobering - one young girl was on the verge of tears. The horror was unspeakable, made worse by the fact that every word was true. I dare say that these stories would be front page news, and spark public outrage, if they occurred in Toronto, or Mississauga, or Brampton, or just about any other non-First Nations community in the country.

I look forward to Peggy’s presentation tomorrow on the gossip epidemic on reserves. She claims people are killing others, and themselves, because of gossip. It should be interesting.

Peggy heads up the WhitePath Counselling and Consulting Services. You can read her bio by clicking on the link on the right.

The World I Live in is Beautiful

2007-02-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

You know, since moving to Fort Albany I’ve become a big fan of Canada. I have a greater appreciate for Canada’s vastness and its diversity. Here we live among Cree Indians, who are among the friendliness people I’ve ever met. I am truly blessed to have been welcomed into their community. It is a tremendous experience to live among people whose skin is a different colour, and whose language is foreign to me, yet feel completely at home. I always joke that I don’t like visiting Toronto because there are too many white people. Wherever life takes us, I will always be affected by the time we are spending here.

I took these photos on my walk this morning. The first one is of the nurses houses, with the hospital in the background. Our house is the second on the left.

The Hockey Odyssey Continues

2007-02-23T17:25:00.001-05:00

Well, didn’t I pick the right game to watch last night? The Ottawa-Buffalo game was moving along swimmingly until Chris Neil blindsided Chris Drury with an open-ice hit, splitting open Drury’s forehead. I guess it was a clean hit, but should you really be able to deck a guy when he can’t see you coming? This incited a line brawl which saw the two goalies square off, followed by a bout between Sens goalie Ray Emery and Sabres meathead Andrew Peters. Like everyone else, I give Biron full credit for standing in against Emery, a guy who fights with a smile on his face. It was an interesting incident, to say the least.

Tonight I am going to watch the Edmonton Oilers take on the Detroit Red Wings. I am such a hockey geek – I am watching these games with The Hockey News in front of me, a print out of the NHL stats, and the line combinations, which I write neatly. A former boss of mine claimed you had to write down the line combos in order to fully appreciate a game. He insisted on writing them in pencil, as they could change at any time. This is a man, keep in mind, whose idea of relaxing was curling up in bed with The Hockey News and a glass of red wine.

I have finished reading “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures” by Dr. Vincent Lam. It was a fantastic read. I regret the fact that I read it about 5-10 pages at a time, over a span of six-weeks. I was unable to build up any momentum until the last couple of days, when I read the final hundred or so pages. Next, I am going to read Frank McCourt’s memoir “Teacher Man.” If all goes well, I will polish it off by the end of the weekend.

Shame on You, Gord Miller!

2007-02-22T18:28:00.000-05:00

I watched a tremendous hockey game last night between San Jose and Washington. Jonathan Cheechoo scored the winning goal in a shootout. The pace was brisk and there were a lot of hard hits.

However, commentator Gord Miller had me screaming at the TV. In fact, I almost phone Rex to express my outrage. It’s a good thing I didn’t because he wasn’t watching the game. He was at the hospital as both his sons were sick, but that’s another story. Anyway, Pierre McGuire - who I really like - brought up the fact that Cheechoo is from Moose Factory, and how that’s such a great name for a town. Miller then showed his ignorance by commenting that Moose Factory is "up on Hudson Bay." I’m probably the only white guy outraged by this, but Moose Factory is infact located along the JAMES BAY coast!!! He went on to say that you’ll only be able to drive to Moose Factory for a few more months because the road will thaw. OK, I won’t quarrel too much with that statement. Technically, it’s true. I will point out, though, that you can only access Moose Factory by road from Moosonee this time of year. You can’t drive there from Toronto at any time of the year. I wonder if Gord knows this?

Tonight’s game game of choice is Ottawa at Buffalo. Should be a good one. I would like to watch the Leafs-Isles tilt, but our Starchoice service blacks out Leafs games on Sportsnet because we are not in the Leafs coverage area. This is puzzling, considering we get all the Oilers, Flames and Canucks games. I thought briefly about watching the Calgary-Phoenix game at 9, most because I haven’t seen the Flames much this season and haven’t seen the Coyotes at all.

Go Sabres! (I guess)

All by Myself

2007-02-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I am all by myself for the next two weeks. Christine and Jonas flew out today, gone for the next three weeks. I am flying out March 8 to join them. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to spend my two weeks of freedom. For a while, I thought about going on the CBC diet, watching nothing but CBC on TV, and listening to nothing but CBC radio. The rest of my leisure time would be devoted to reading and playing on the internet. Then I came to my senses. I have since decided to do whatever I want when I want. Rest assured, the CBC will be watched and listened to, as I am a big fan of both mediums. However, there will be plenty of hockey watching, and I plan to read until my eyes pop out of their sockets. First, I’ve got to finish “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures”, the book I’ve been reading for over a month now. Andrea left us a few books before she went, one of which is “Walking on the Land” by Farley Mowat. Now you can’t get much more Canadian than that, can you?

Tonight’s agenda features the San Jose Sharks vs. the Washington Capitals – Cheechoo vs. Ovechkin. This could be the first non-Leafs game I watch this season. Watching hockey, just like reading, and generally wasting time, is something that has become scarce for me since Jonas’ arrival. I will sure miss the little guy. Tonight is the first night since he was born that we haven’t slept in the same room, and tomorrow will be the first day I don’t get to see him. Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Mission Accomplished...Finally

2007-02-16T17:34:00.000-05:00

My NHL player phoned me late this afternoon after nearly two weeks of unreturned messages. Needless to say I am completely thrilled that I can enjoy my weekend without this hanging over me. It was the first thing I thought about in the morning, and the last thing I thought about before going to bed.

I don’t want to reveal his identity because I slagged him, tongue in cheek, in yesterday’s post. Truthfully, he was a bit of a dick with me in the interview.

Jeff: Why do you think you made the NHL, when the odds of a kid making it are astronomical?

NHLer: I don’t know.

Jeff: Do you ever think about how fortunate you were to make it?

NHLer: (aggitated) Of course I do, I think about how lucky I am everyday, but I worked hard to get where I am.

I guess I was expecting a more thoughtful answer, one that credited his coaches and parents. To his credit, he did go on about the sacrifices his parents made, but only after I prompted him.

I’m just glad this is over. In the future, when I chose a player to profile, I’m going to do a thorough background check to ensure he doesn’t give me the runaround.

Why won’t he phone?

2007-02-15T17:51:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get an NHL player to return messages?

I’ve been waiting by the phone for more than a week now, waiting for a certain NHL player to phone me to do an interview. If the PR guy is to be believed, this player has received five messages to phone me. I thought it was kind of funny, actually, that the PR man said he would "text" my numbers to him. I’d like to send a message to this player: tear your ass away from the X-Box and phone me. It will only take 10 minutes, and in exchange for your time you get to appear on the cover of Hockey Life Magazine. Sure, it’s not The Hockey News, but Mike Brophy does write for it - not to mention Steve Simmons from The Toronto Sun. Hey, I’m just a lowly freelancer who lives in BF nowhere, a guy who depends on the money from this job to feed his infant son (OK, that was an exaggeration).

Funny thing is, I think he’s a good player who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. I even went to bat for him, advocating to the editor that we feature him on the cover. And this is how I get treated? I really have no choice but to phone his parents and see if they can get him to call me. They’ve been helpful with this story, sending in his minor hockey photos to be used with the article.

On a more positive note, I weighed in today - two weeks after modifying my diet. I’ve lost a little more than a pound. I’m just relieved to halt the weight gain, to tell you the truth. If I can lose another pound in the next two weeks, I can’t really complain.

Downsize Me

2007-02-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

In an effort to go from a fatso to fitso, I’ve embarked on a diet…make that a “food modification” program. Since the birth of Jonas, I’ve been on a real eating tear. It started with all the restaurant food we enjoyed while down south for the birth of the little boy; then it continued unabated over the Christmas holidays. The opportunity to eat presented itself, so I took it. I’m not ashamed of it, because I ate some damn good food. Problem was, over the Christmas holidays I discovered ye ol’ pants weren’t fitting quite as well. In fact, a couple of pairs of pants are on the sidelines because they no longer fit.

But not for long…hopefully.

Here are the diet changes I’ve made:

- I no longer drink sugared beverages like pop, ice tea and kool-aid. From now on, it’s only purified water (5 glasses a day) and a little bit of fruit juice for breakfast. Of course, I can’t give up my Tim Horton’s coffee in the morning.

- The granola bar I was eating for my morning snack has been replaced with an apple or orange. My PM snack of crackers and peanut butter is now either fruit or carrots.

- I no longer eat anything out of a can for lunch – there’s way too much sodium. Instead, I’ve taken to scrambled eggs and toast a lot of the time. I’m still concerned I’m eating too many carbs. And it is possible to eat too many eggs, or so Christine tells me.

- I haven’t altered my dinner habits, I just watch my portion size. However, I haven’t had ice cream for dessert in nearly two weeks – a huge accomplishment for me. Also, I’ve greatly reduced my yogurt consumption. And what have I replaced ice cream and yogurt with? Jello.

Finally, I no longer eat after 8 p.m. (OK, I’ve broken down and had a bowl of cereal a couple of times, but nothing major).

I am going to weigh in every two weeks, with my first weigh-in scheduled for this Thursday. I’ll be sure to keep y’all updated on my progress.

The Kid in a Cage

2007-02-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

I heard a bizarre and incredibly disturbing story on CBC Radio today. The story went something like this: parents discovered that their son was being taught at school while being kept in a cage. They were understandably outraged, and when they confronted the principal and teacher were told that the cage is a time-out zone. You might have heard about this story too.

This got me thinking about my own upbringing, and the apparent physical abuse that some of my classmates endured at the hands of teachers and principals. I recently told Christine about my recollection of a certain Grade 2 student, who I won’t name, being tied to his desk with a scarf so that he wouldn’t move around the class and disrupt the other students.

Christine: What backwater school did you go to?

Me: Well, I went to Federal Public School in Kirkland Lake. You mean they never did this at your school?

Christine: Hell No!

Jeff: So, I guess they never gave the strap at your school either?

Christine: Jeff, the strap was banned in like the 1960s.

Jeff: Well, it wasn’t at Federal Public because I remember classmates telling tales of getting strapped by the principal. And I even saw the strap. It was right there, hanging in his office. Are you going to tell me I was imaging this?

Chris: Yes, you were imaging that.

Well, I was recently vindicated by Jeremie, a fellow northerner from Sturgeon Falls. He says the strap was commonplace in his school. His brother was even strapped. None of the other people I asked about this said the strap was used in their school. It must be a northern thing.

In 1988, I wonder if putting your hands on a student’s face and driving it into a wall was as common in Sturgeon as it was in Kirkland. I remember the incident distinctly. I even remember the student’s name. I recall how my grade 7 teacher was the acting principal one day, and how he manhandled a student that was sent to our class by the teacher. The teacher, who later became a principal (probably an abusive one), put his hand around the kid’s jaw and drove his head back into a wall. “What’s your name boy?” his barked. I don’t remember what happened after that, just that it never occurred to me to tell someone about this. I suppose it was still OK to put your hands on students back in 88. That day has stayed with me all these years.

Funny, but I regard that teacher as one of the most influential I’ve ever had. I’d probably tell it to him too – if he isn’t already burning in hell.

Jeff’s January Playlist

2007-02-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

In an effort to share my music with the world, here are the singles I was listening to in January:

1. Boston, Augustana
I liked this song a lot when I first bought the Augustana CD 16 months ago. However, I heard the single version on the radio and have a feeling it has been watered down to make it more radio-friendly. I don’t approve of such a tactic.

2. Starlight, Muse
This song borrows/steals from the 80s song "All My Dreams Came True Last Night" by ABC.

3. Reach For The Sun, The Polyphonic Spree
This song features a muted trumpet, an instrument I’m not usually fond of, but in this case it seems to work.

4. Stolen, Dashboard Confessional
The DB song "Don’t Wait" was one of my favourites from 2006. This is not nearly as good.

5. Sunday Morning, K-Os
A song that makes me want to strut across the Rez.

6. It Ends Tonight, The All-American Rejects
Yet another AAR song that makes my playlist.

7. The Interview, AFI
Another song that has an 80s feel to it. And as some of you know, I do love my 80s music.

8. Cab, Train
I never thought I’d ever like another Train song after they went all soft, but this one’s OK.

9. Anna Molly, Incubus
A popular song with the masses, but I have a feeling I’ll forget about it in a year.

10. Windows In The Sky U2
This song actually started annoying me as the month went on, and truthfully I only included it on the list because of the band that sings it. Perhaps that’s reason enough dislike the song, eh?

Guest Blogger: Jacob Ashamock

2007-01-31T21:32:00.000-05:00

Jacob Ashamock is a Northern College student in Fort Albany. He and his partner Kerry Bitternose are the parents two young children, Andre and Mispun.

Do you ever wonder why you are here on earth? Why do you think what you are thinking? Think about it. What is the purpose of each one’s individual existence? You know, when you are born, a whole new generation is born, too. If you were born 10 years ago, or 100 years ago, or even a thousand years ago, would your purpose of existence change? Yes, it probably would. What if, in WW2, Adolf Hitler had weapons of mass destruction? Do you think you’d be here if he did? Do you think there would be a Canada, a U.S., or whatever? No, because Hitler felt that his purpose was to make the world full of people with only blonde hair and blue eyes. Except him. Yep, it’s true. And that’s funny because Hitler had dark hair and dark eyes.

250 km north of -33

2007-01-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

This morning, I walked to work with the rising sun behind me, reminding myself to keep moving, lest I lose feeling in my legs and collapse in the cold white snow. I’m not sure what the temperature was, but I do know it was -33 C in Moosonee, and we are 250 km north of Moose. That wasn’t even the coldest locale in Northern Ontario - that distinction went to Chapleau, checking in at a frosty -38 C.

I don’t need a thermometer to tell me how cold it is. For me, cold is measured in the length of time it takes for my legs to start freezing when I take Ollie for her 7 a.m. walk. The last week has been the coldest stretch I’ve experienced in the 19 months I’ve been in Fort Albany. Last February, we had about 28 straight days of -20 highs and overnight lows of -35. This last week, however, felt even chillier.

Let’s see...What else is going on? Our class held a fundraiser on the weekend, selling Indian Tacos at Helen Knapaysweet’s place. Helen is Rex’s mom and surely one of the kindest people in town. She offered up her home to us, and along with her daughter Pam, did all the cooking. The students and I baked some desserts on Friday afternoon, but Helen and Pam did all the rest. The money we made will go towards our field trip to Moosonee on Feb. 9, where we will attend a career fair at Northern Lights Secondary School. Rex thinks one more fundraiser (he’s thinking a Texas hold em tourney) will allow us to charter a plane for the day. Talk about travelling in style!

On Friday night, Christine cooked up her fantastic veggie chilli and we hosted a dinner for the nurses and paramedic(s). I had one of those "I’m getting so old" moments when I had to explain to a 22-year-old nursing student that Miami Vice was a popular 1980s television show. Do they not teach kids these things in school?

Here are my top 100 singles of 2006

2007-01-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

OK, I wasn’t going to post this, but then I figured why go to the trouble of compiling my favourite 100 singles of 2006 if I wasn’t going to share it with the world? Perhaps someone out there will spot a song they really like, or maybe share the same infinity for an unknown act as me. I just found out there are websites out there featuring favourite song lists of ordinary music fans. And I thought I was the only one.

1 Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol
2 Nothing Left to Lose, Mat Kearney
3 Slow Motion, David Gray
4 Don't Wait, Dashboard Confessional
5 Girl In The War, Josh Ritter
6 Open Your Eyes, Snow Patrol
7 Ticket to Immortality, The Dears
8 Roger and Out, Neil Young
9 Not Going Home, The Elected
10 How To Save A Life, The Fray
11 The Adventure, Angels And Airwaves
12 Twenty Four Hours, Athlete
13 Hate Me, Blue October
14 Good Things, Kathleen Edwards
15 You’re All I Have, Snow Patrol
16 When The Sun Goes Down, Charlie Mars
17 Over My Head, The Fray
18 I Won't Blame You, Pilate
19 Sorry Again, Tomi Swick
20 Hometown, The Supers
21 Our Last Night, Better Than Ezra
22 Jolene, Ray LaMontagne
23 Pussywillow, Greg Dulli
24 It Was Love, The Elected
25 We All Lose One Another, Jason Collett
26 A Night Like This, Tomi Swick
27 Let's Impeach the President, Neil Young
28 Shadowland, Youth Group
29 World Wide Suicide, Pearl Jam
30 Trust Me, The Fray
31 Hands Open, Snow Patrol
32 Try So Hard, Charlie Mars
33 Angels & Saints, Neverending White Lights
34 The Man, Pete Yorn
35 Ever The Same, Rob Thomas
36 Surrender, Ox
37 To Leave It Behind, Great Lake Swimmers
38 Miracle , Foo Fighters
39 The Hardest Part, Coldplay
40 When the Angels Make Contact, Matt Mays
41 Coast Is Clear, In Flight Safety
42 History Remade, FemBots
43 The Grace, Neverending White Lights featuring Dallas Green
44 Wandering Soul, Kate Rusby
45 Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), The Arcade Fire
46 Learning the Hard Way, Gin Blossoms
47 Beauty, James Iha
48 Now And Always, David Gray
49 Is It Any Wonder?, Keane
50 Stand Up and Be Strong, Soul Asylum
51 Life Wasted, Pearl Jam
52 Conceived, Beth Orton
53 When You Were Young, The Killers
54 Sing, The Dresden Dolls
55 Bodies And Minds, Great Lake Swimmers
56 I’ll bring the sun, Jason Collett
57 In The Backseat The Arcade Fire
58 Alibi, David Gray
59 The Past, Matt Mays
60 For Us, Pete Yorn
61 Beautiful Son, Without Gravity
62 Age of Consent, Neverending White Lights featuring Nick Hexum
63 Haiti, The Arcade Fire
64 Help Me Suzanne, Rhett Miller
65 Let Love in, Goo Goo Dolls
66 Cold December, Matt Costa
67 Orange Sky, Alexi Murdoch
68 The Kill, 30 Seconds To Mars
69 If Tragedy's Appealing, Then Disaster's an Addiction Moneen
70 Stay With You, Goo Goo Dolls
71 Move Along, The All-American Rejects
72 Land of Confusion, Disturbed
73 Begin, Ben Lee
74 Good Man, Josh Ritter
75 Welcome To The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance
76 Bonnie Brae, The Twilight Singers
77 A Message, Coldplay
78 I Will Follow You Into The Dark, Death Cab For Cutie
79 See Right Through Me, Mobile
80 Shine A Light, Wolf Parade
81 Music Is Power, Richard Ashcroft
82 Pull Me Through, Jim Cuddy
83 Helicopters, The Stills
84 Do It Again, Nada Surf
85 The Golden Boy, Shelby
86 Don't Look In Their Eyes, Stabilo
87 Hospital Food, David Gray
88 The Gift, Seether
89 Shopping Trolley, Beth Orton
90 FaceDown, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
91 Lips Like Morphin, Kill Hannah
92 Perfect Situation, Weezer
93 Dirty Little Secret, All American Rejects
94 In The Beginning, The Stills
95 Rooftops, Lost Prophets
96 Fall Down With You, The Paperboys
97 World, Five For Fighting
98 Doctor Blind, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
99 So Much for Everyone, Dan Mangan
100 Hangover Days, Jason Collett

That sound you hear is American Idol sucking me in

2007-01-18T19:03:00.001-05:00

Oh my God, it’s happening again. Last year at this time, we started watching American Idol for the first time, telling ourselves we only wanted to watch the auditions because the horrible ones are so funny. Then a terrible thing happened: we couldn’t turn Idol off. With nothing to do on cold winter nights in the F-dot, we would turn our brains off and watch this mess of a show, powerless to its mass appeal. I told Christine it wouldn’t happen again. I wasn’t even going to watch the auditions this year because I felt so bad for watching a show that is so gimmicky, and such a ridiculous marketing vehicle for the music industry. Guess what? I watched all four hours this week, and I laughed my butt off.

Let me say, I am a big fan of Simon Cowell. Sure, he crosses the line with his comments, but I respect him for being blunt. Hey, if I had to spend hour after hour, watching awful auditions, I’d get pissy too. The show, on the whole, presents America as a nation of retards, completely obsessed with fame. Didn’t something like 10,000 people line up in Seattle, yet they only picked 7 for Hollywood? Don’t get me wrong, the show does unearth a lot of talented people, but it also creates the illusion that anyone can become a star. Well, hello! You need talent, desire, and a strong work ethic to become successful at anything in life. I wish America would realize this.

Bush 60 Minutes interview disturbing

2007-01-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else out there see the George W. Bush interview on 60 Minutes last night? I was deeply troubled, to say the least. Bush looked as unpresidential-like as ever, so unsure of himself to the point of embarassment, still unable to logically explain why increasingly the troop build-up in Iraq to 2004 levels is better than withdrawing completely. Virtually every expert I’ve heard advises against this plan, even some from Fox News.

I might feel better about the future of the world had Bush presented a strong, resolute image to the world last night. Instead, you could almost see the beads of sweat on his forehead when asked the pressing questions. The security of the free world, my friends, is in the hands of this man. And that scares the crap out of me, considering how badly he has bungled the Iraqi invasion, a mess that he started by misleading Americans. Normally, I would advise him to resign, but the alternative might even be worse. I’m talking about Cheney, of course. So, in other words, there is no alternative.

Rollie-Pollie Jonas

2007-01-12T18:46:00.000-05:00

Another Day, Another Milestone.

Just a few minutes ago, Jonas rolled over on his own for the first time. He rolled from front to back, most likely in an effort to see the TV. All this a day before his four-month birthday, which we understand is right about the time infants start rolling over on their own. Nice going my little friend. Here’s a picture of him, moments after the big event.

Niska Cafe Open For Business

2007-01-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

Screw You Starbucks: Rex Knapaysweet (left), and Brent Nakogee

Natives love coffee.

As the treasurer of the Northern College coffee club, I know first hand just how much coffee a person of Canada’s First Nations community can consume. One fellow I taught last semester was never without a coffee while in class; he was to coffee what Julian from "Trailer Park Boys" is to Rum and Coke.

Well, I am pleased to report that Albany now has a coffee shop, a place where the locals can drop by for a coffee until 1 a.m. The proprieters are a couple of fine young gents: Brent Nakogee and Rex Knapaysweet. Rex is our program assistant at school, and quite possibly the hardest working person on the Rez. He shows up at school, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, at 9 a.m., after working until 1 a.m. the night before, all to support his two young sons. It is terrific to see such initiative in a young person (geez I sound old). In addition to being well-versed in a number of important subjects, Rex is marathon runner, having competed in the Toronto Marathon last year, along with fellow rez boy Gabriel Sutherland Jr.

The shop itself is a shrine to Jonathan Cheechoo, who happens to be a personal friend of Rex’s. Among others things, there is an autographed stick commemorating Jonathan’s 50-goal season, as well as a framed issue of The Hockey News with Jonathan on the cover (that was my donation). The best part about the operation, in my opinion, is the Tim Horton’s coffee, which I am seriously addicted to. All other coffee is just swill, I must say.

Before the Christmas break, the students and I went to the Niska on our coffee break, an experience that reminded me of the Java Joe’s trips we used to make at The Hockey News. As we made the fairly short walk (everywhere here is a short walk), one of the students said "Jeff, people are going to think we’re looking for a party."

It was 10 a.m.

There must be something to this, as it was not the first time a student made this remark while we walked through the reserve. So, there we were, about eight of us walking through town, coffees in hand. Good times, for sure.

I Want Answers

2007-01-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

First, Can anyone please tell me why 3,000 Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis have died in Iraq since 2003? I have yet to hear a legitimate reason, and it breaks my heart to think so many people have died in vain.

Secondly, this is an occupation, NOT a war.

Third, is there a good reason why George W. Bush should not be tried for war crimes?

Jonas and Jeff vs. Toronto

2006-12-19T23:19:00.000-05:00

Today my boy and I took on the mighty city and kicked its butt, obliterated it, left it begging for mercy.

It was a marvelous day in his young life; it was a great day in the life of his dad.

Jonas and I hopped on the subway and paid a visit to the offices of Transcontinental Media, home of The Hockey News and the scene of some of the best times of my life. Jonas was unbelieveably well-behaved - he slept on the subway, woke up as we arrived at the office, and was his usual engaging self during our two-hour visit. He fell asleep on the subway ride home, and was in great spirits when we got back to his mommy. It was a fantastic day.

We are in Toronto until Thursday, staying at the Delta Chelsea. Monday night we had a great visit with our close friend Kainani, now a proud mother to eight-month-old Piper. What a bizarre experience it was for me, listening to Kainani dispense parenting advice, when about 18 months ago she was advising me on how to recover from a night of binge drinking. Oh, how times have changed.

Kainani with Jonas

On Friday we head back to Lindsay to spend Christmas with Christine’s family, then on Boxing Day we’re off to Penetanguishene to spend some time with my folks. We fly back to Fort Albany on New Year’s Day.

Here’s Mispun!

2006-12-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, there has been no shortage of good news to report in the last week. On Sat. Dec. 9, Northern Voices contributor Jacob Ashamock and his partner Kerry Bitternose welcomed Mispun Riel Daris Ashamock into the world, born at Timmins District Hospital. Mispun, which I’m told translates into Snow in English, is their first daughter, following her big brother, Andre, into the world. Congratulations, and a quick warning that Jonas may soon be putting the moves on little Mispun.

Tis the Season to Party

2006-12-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

James Bay General Hospital held its annual Christmas party Sunday, honouring its over-worked employees for another year of hard work and dedication to this community. Let me tell you, there were more than a few belts undone after the meal. Later, a few of us gathered at Chateau Mackie to watch the Christmas classic "Christmas Vacation", featuring Chevy Chase when he was funny. Here are just a few of the photos snapped by the guy who was lurking with the camera.

Nurses of Albany: Front row (from left): Jen K., Hae-Yun, Jen C., Angie. Back row: Jack, Andrea, Ladyne, Becky, Christine, Denis, Lucianne.

Our good friends, Todd and Jen C.

Jonas seems interested in what Jen C. and Hae-Yun have to say

Jonas Sleeps Through the Night

2006-12-09T23:07:00.000-05:00

What a marvelous night it was for Jonas, and more importantly his sleep-deprived parents. The little guy actually sleep through the night for the first time. Yep, he went down at 2 a.m. and did not wake up until 9:30 a.m. Will this become the norm? Or was it just a passing moment of luxury?

We had a fun evening last night, as Todd and Jen C. came over and we watched "The Ref", starring Christine’s beloved Denis Leary. It was at least the third time we’ve seen this Christmas movie, and I have to admit it’s pretty funny. I also have to admit that I haven’t made it through the film without falling asleep. Last night was no exception. In my defence we didn’t start it until 10:30, and it was the end of a busy week. What am I talking about? My days of making it through a movie sans sleep are over, just like watching hockey on week nights, and me caring about my appearance - all are ancient friggin’ history.

Tonight, the other nurses threw a potluck/baby shower for us over at Andrea’s. Jonas received more clothes and toys; I can’t tell you how fortunate we are that we have such generous friends and family. I managed to stay awake tonight, although my dozing last night was exposed when Christine, Todd and Jen started reciting lines from "The Ref", only to have me ask "Where’s that from?" Duh.

Here are a few pictures from the party. I’ve also posted a few bath time pics in our photo album.

Hae-Yun and Jonas

Jonas and Wolfman Tom

Jonas showing off his new Pooh blanket with Jen K. and Ladyne

Dirk Soeterik wins big "Inside the Box"

2006-12-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

Friends, every so often I have one of those days in which I feel like I’ve been hit with a jolt of electricity - in a good way. Tuesday was one of those days. We were (and still are) on Cloud 9 after learning that Martyn and Carrie are getting married next October. And just when I thought a day couldn’t get any better, I changed the channel on the television and soon found the face of my good buddy and former Hockey News colleague Dirk Soeterik staring back at me.

"Oh my God, it’s Dirk, it’s Dirk, it’s Dirk," I shouted to Christine, who was in the kitchen.

I couldn’t believe me eyes, Dirk was a contestant on "Inside The Box" a Canadian game show that tests the TV knowledge of contestants, a show so horribly low budget that it has become a daily guilty pleasure for Christine and me. Now, part of the appeal for us is playing along at home, and laughing at the idiocy of the contestants, some of whom may never have watched TV in their lives.

I knew Dirk could kick the butts of the other two competitors; this is the type of show he could thrive at, a show that rewards those who can recall inane details of old and new shows, characters and actors - and recall them in front of a studio audience with the lights shining down on them.

Well, Dirk crushed his opponents and advanced to the final round where he was able to parlay the clues he was given and come up with the right answer: actor Gerald McCraney. Dirkie walked away with a cool $2,500 out of a possible $10,000. Well done, my friend.

Martyn Bailey has been Tamed!!!

2006-12-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

Martyn Bailey and Carrie Clynick are enagaged to be married on October 6, 2007, Northern Voices has learned.

A source close to the couple (possibly one of them) revealed that they are indeed engaged after a courtship of about a year.

OK, OK, I just wanted to know how it felt to write the lead to a hard news story again.

This is huge news!!! An absolutely enormous, massive, gigantic turn of events. Martyn Bailey, whom I’ve known for some 17 years, who stood up for me at my wedding, is settling down. Ladies, you had your chance and every one of you blew it.

Except, of course, for Carrie Clynick, definitely one of the nicest girls I have ever met in my life. Martyn saw an opportunity here and he seized it, setting himself up for the rest of his life with a fellow vegetarian, a lawyer, and possibly most importantly, a girl with vast knowledge of pop culture. My friends, this is something you can’t put a price on. Any woman who can carry on a conversation about the cultural relevancy of the hit show "Flavour of Love" is OK in my books. As Martyn will find out, the possibilities for conversation will be endless. He is a lucky guy, let me tell you.

Well, I look forward to being a groomsman at the wedding; the only wedding I have ever been in was my own. It is a real honour to be thought of in this way.

Jeff’s November Playlist

2006-12-03T16:49:00.000-05:00

I am a couple of days late with this, but here are the new (or relatively new) singles I was listening to in November, ranked in order, of course.

1. Open Your Eyes, Snow Patrol
My second favourite song from their CD Eyes Open. It was used in the opening scene of the season premiere of E.R., of which I am a fan.

2. When The Sun Goes Down , Charlie Mars
This song is a couple of years old now, but Charlie Mars hasn’t put out a new album since, and XM has played it a bit, therefore I’m qualifying it for my list.

3. Roger and Out, Neil Young
This is one of Neil’s best songs in several years. It is written from the pespective of a Vietnam Vet who came home from the war, but his friend didn’t. It is, suffice to say, topical.

4. Trust Me, The Fray
The latest CD by The Fray is pretty good, and this is one of the strongest songs.

5. It Was Love, The Elected
When I listen to The Elected, I am reminded of The Jayhawks. This is one of my favourite songs from their most recent CD.

6. When the Angels Make Contact, Matt Mays
Matt Mays is one of my favourite artists, and he doesn’t disappoint me with the first single from his new CD. It is unlike anything he has done to date, which makes me appeciate him even more.

7. The Man, Pete Yorn
Pete Yorn is a also a favourite of mine. I was excited about this song the first few times I heard it, but it has since become a bit bland for me. Still, I like it quite a bit.

8. Surrender, Ox
This is such a fantastic cover of the Cheap Trick song; a stipped down accoustic. This Canadian band is apparently a country act, but to me they sound more alt-country. Am I just being redundant here?

9. Move Along , The All-American Rejects
I heard this song countless times and never really liked it, until one night I heard it while at the Ambulance base and something just clicked for me. I’ve liked it ever since.

10. The Kill, 30 Seconds To Mars
This is one song I like to turn up loud.

11. Let Love in, Goo Goo Dolls
A catchy, upbeat song, but I’ve given up on the idea that GG will ever break new ground.