Summer Vacations

The vacations I remember most growing up were the ones I spent with my family at the beach or traveling doing long road trips. At the end of the summer we got the family to do both. We did a family roadtrip to Niagra Falls and Toronto. We got to see Tio and the family in Mississagua. We didn't do it old school style though. Where the kids lay across the back windshield above the back seat in a huge 1970 Chevy Impala. We did it the safe way with seat belts and just a little speeding. We got some skateboarding in, experienced the full fury of the falls including the Maid of the Mist. Over came some childhood fears with that. I recall being a kid and going to the falls and thinking. Thank god our parents didn't have alot of extra money to go on those boats. Those boats look scary and those people are nuts. My son who is about the same age thought the same. We both decided to do it anyways with the reset of the family. What a thrill and will be quite memorable. The other tradition of summer vacations and roadtrip travel is to do the vacation with the uncles, aunts and cousins. So we all experienced Niagara even the brave little nieces too!


I was so happy to also get to go to the beach for a summer vacation with the family. It had to rate in the top 3 vacations our family has had. Extremely relaxing and replenishing for each of us to enjoy each other in a non-scheduled way.








Canada 2009

Work is Part of Life

Recently through work I got some mentors that are vice presidents. They asked me to tell them about my work history. I looked back at the jobs I have had over my career. I have had relatively few jobs after I graduated from college. When I thought back earlier in my life, I realized how many more jobs I have had. College internships as a surveyor, summer college jobs as an engineer, working during high school as a dishwasher at a nursing home, clerk at a supermarket, meat market and aerosol can factory. Man there is a lot of work and jobs in life and you start young. I was probably 13 when I first started working. I am so proud of our kids because our kids have started working without anyone really asking them to. The desire to work is in them. My son has started cutting the grass. He looks like a big guy pushing that mower around. My wife claims he cuts the grass better than I do. I have to agree. My daughter has pulled her resume together and got a baby sitting job. She got the job herself without her mother or I pushing her or helping her. Our kids make us both proud and thankful to have such great hard working kids.