Six Degrees of Separation

In another of my Facebook surveys, I asked my approximately 1,200 friends to share their close encounters with greatness. The responses came in fast and furious, 29 in total, or a tiny percentage of the sample audience. Yet, the list of famous people was nothing short of impressive.

From letting Richard Gere go in front in a drug store line-up to throwing up on Johnny Depp in the L. A. airport, from "belly bucking" Jon Voight to hitting Pierre Trudeau with a car door, having close encounters with the rich and famous seems to be a cottage industry.

As part of the discussion I shared several personal stories, the most famous of which happened at the Saskatoon Holiday Inn when I was working room service there in 1987 or 1988. I walked into Dennis Quaid's room using my master key, thinking he was not there. I had knocked many times. He was there--passed out naked on his bed.

Later that morning, Jerry Lee Lewis called down and ordered some orange juice and a banana. The bill was maybe $3. He gave me $20 and said "keep the change!" That was the biggest tip I had received to date or since.

Finally, I shared the time I was down in Nashville for the Country Radio Seminar in 1998. As part of that gathering of radio folk from across North America, artists sit in a room and sign autographs and voice liners for any station that wants them. The line-ups for the huge stars were long and daunting, the line-ups for the mid-range stars were sparse yet respectful. One line-up didn't form at all, for a group that was just new to the charts, struggling to find an audience. They looked so eager sitting there, hoping that someone would come and visit, so I did. I have a lovely signed photo of the group gathering dust in my box of memories. They called themselves the Dixie Chicks.

The stories of brushes with greatness tumbled in. Someone bought Kim Mitchell a pack of gum at K-MART. Another partied with Kanye West and Halle Berry. A good friend sat next to actor Dave Thomas (SCTV) at the Vancouver Airport. My first cousin walked into a sound check and sat next to Brian Wilson as he adjusted levels.

The names rolled in: Tim Robbins, Alec Baldwin, Buzz Aldrin, Kelsey Grammar, Kevin Lowe, Justin Trudeau, Corbin Bernsen, Virginia Madsen, Sean Paul, Beyonce, Ricky Martin, Jessica Simpson, John Legend, Lewis Black, John Candy, Geddy Lee and even Donkey from Shrek!

I would like to share one of the stories verbatim, as it is a classic.

From Gary John, Fort McMurray, Alberta:

I was two and my brother was four, we were watching a field hockey game my father was playing in. There was a grand total of five spectators. We became bored and began play fighting as boys will do. One of the other two spectators came over to tell Mum that "the Princess was more interested in watching your boys playing than she was in the game".

The Princess (who was to become Queen Elizabeth II) was there to watch her husband (Prince Philip) play hockey against my Dad's team. So my close encounter was that I can say "I fought for" (or in front of) the Queen.

Onward, the waters of close encounters kept flowing: Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Burton Cummings, Jennifer Lopez (just last week), Jason Priestly (by email), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett from Star Wars), Lennox Lewis (on an airplane), Robin Williams (at a comic book shop), Benjamin Pratt, Patrick Stewart....

I'm not sure what all these close encounters add up to except to illustrate that we truly live in a small world and perhaps, that greatest is all around us, you just have to pay attention.

April 30, 2010 - 191.2 pounds, 27.2% body fat

Change, Fear and the Collision of Best Intentions

I grow increasingly fascinated by the dynamics of change, the vagaries of why and how change happens and how people and organizations react to it. Spring is a natural season for change as it is a time when ideas germinate and take root, when dormancy is replaced by growth.

Change is all around me these days, at work, in the community and at home. At work, we're about to announce a new budget and the all the requisite changes it will inspire. In the community, we're facing what promises to be a dynamic election season, as we usher in a new Mayor and Council this fall. At home, the boys are growing older, changing by the day, and the yard is waking up changing from winter's white to spring's bouquet of color.

Professionally, I am in the business of change, looking for new ideas and better ways of doing things. In my volunteer life, I have been immersed for years in the dynamics of change with groups like Events Wood Buffalo, Theatre Alberta, Nonprofit Sector Link, Big Spirit and Leadership Wood Buffalo.

Let's be honest though, change breeds fear, and sometimes a collision of best intentions. I know there are a few scoundrels in life, whose intentions are not so good, but generally speaking, I believe that most people proceed in life wanting to do the right thing. I always try to keep that in mind when facing opposition, reluctance and outright reticence during the change process. Change is hard, challenging, full to the brim with controversy. But when done right, it can be inspiring, transformational and utterly compelling.

"If nothing ever changes, there'd be no butterflies." ~author unknown

April 27, 2010 - 192.4 pounds, 28.8% body fat

Putnam County Spelling Bee

Its theme song has been bouncing around in my head since we returned from Calgary, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The unlikely 2005 Broadway hit musical had been extended in the Max Bell Theatre produced by Theatre Calgary, giving Claude and I the opportunity to attend during our free night on Saturday.

Directed by Dean Paul Gibson, the Spelling Bee featured Gavin Crawford of This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame. Crawford's part was certainly no more significant than any of the other actors playing spelling bee contestants, but his visage was splashed front and centre everywhere the show was being marketed. In that small respect, it felt a little Mayfield Dinner Theatre-ish. It put me in mind of shows from the past starring folks like Joyce Dewitt from Three's Company or Jamie Farr from MASH. I even saw a show there starring Robert Vaughn from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The premise: a group of students compete in the 25th annual Putnam County spelling bee. Simple.

The hook: six of the students are actors, four are pulled from the audience.

As we watched from high up in the third balcony, the theatrical nosebleeds, we laughed hysterically through the first act. The matronly principal, played by Marcia Tratt, introduced each student followed by an interesting fact.

"Bill Smith (a balding guest from the audience)," began the Principal. "Bill recently recovered from a case of lice."

Then the effeminate vice-principal gave the word: "Cellar."

"Can you give me the definition please," asked Bill, from the microphone down centre in front of the 700 people in the audience.

"Bill likes to store his dead bodies in the cellar so nobody finds them," replied the cagey host.

As the act proceeded the words got harder and harder till there was only one non-actor left on the bench. This pretty young lady confidently approached the microphone and was given an impossibly difficult word. To the chagrin and shock of the host, she nailed it, obviously something that wasn't supposed to happen.

As she began to make her way back to the bench, the host piped up "Get back to the microphone, we're just going to have to give you another one!"

They gave her another hard word and successfully knocked her out allowing the story to spiral to its eventual conclusion. And honestly, the show really did go downhill from there. It wasn't terrible by any stretch, nor was it anything the actors or director did or didn't do. The script's strength lies in the first half of the show, that's all.

My favourite performance was by Kevin Corey, who played William Barfee. I believe Kevin is a former Fort McMurrayite who is an outstanding character actor. I also enjoyed Doug McKeag who played Douglas Panch, the gay-as-the-day-is-long host. His characterization was terrific. I'll never forget his saunter from the gymnasium doors to the front of the stage--classic.

April 27, 2010 - 192.6 pounds, 28.8% body fat

Riding the LRT

While Claude and I were attending Theatre Alberta meetings in Calgary, Ben was enjoying his first independent weekend away from home with Mama or Papa. We dropped him off at Uncle Michael and Auntie Kathryn's in Edmonton on our way south. It turns out he had a wonderful time.

We arrived a little earlier than expected this morning, meetings complete, ready to be home. Ben had heard all the scuttlebutt about the opening of a new South LRT station the day before and had expressed a strong desire to go for a ride. So, early on Sunday morning they hopped on the LRT and went from one end to the other, $2.75 all-in.

"Tell them how far it was," prompted Michael.

"Thirty-seven kilometres," Ben answered hesitantly.

"And how long did it take?" asked Michael.

"Twenty-eight minutes, both ways," said Ben.

What a great Sunday morning activity for an uncle and his nephew! A great memory at a great price.

April 25, 2010 - weight and body fat% n/a

Theatre Alberta

For the past four years, every quarter, I get together with the Theatre Alberta board of directors and we talk about projects, issues and ideas around the world of theatre in the province. Yesterday Claude and I drove all the way from cloudy Fort McMurray to sunny Calgary to attend what will be my final set of discussions, my two two-year terms are coming to an end in July.

The Theatre Alberta board is made up of a broad cross-section of theatre practitioners from Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray in the north to High River and Lethbridge in the south. There are teachers, at both the secondary and post-secondary levels, producers, directors, artistic directors, actors, stage managers and marketing heads, all of whom add depth and meaning to the tenor of the conversations.

Theatre Alberta is a Provincial Arts Service Organizations (PASO), base-funded through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. It has been around a long time, and in more recent times under the day-to-day leadership of Marie Gynane-Willis, has enjoyed an unparalleled period of stability and managed growth and development. So, what does Theatre Alberta do? Good question.

As a PASO, it throws a lasso around the theatre communities of Alberta--educational, community and professional--and brings them together in a variety of ways.

Serving all those constituencies, Theatre Alberta owns and maintains the largest collection of plays in the province. As a member you can order a selection (or two or three) online and it will be mailed to you free of charge. No matter what constituency you are playing around in, this is a service that is invaluable when you're looking for that perfect next project.

Theatre Alberta brings theatre students together with the professional community through Emerge, a mass audition call in both Edmonton and Calgary. Many of the artistic directors, from theatres large and small, gather together to see the best of the best coming out of the colleges and universities.

Through their 50 year old Dramaworks and Artstrek programs, Theatre Alberta has been one of the key providers of summer learning experiences for residents of our province for decades. If you were to take a straw poll of theatre people in Alberta or across the country who originated here, you'd be shocked to see how many people have been through these programs. Celebrations are being planned for this summer, organized by Paul Morgan Donald and a committee of the board.

This organization also executes some tremendous outreach programs and initiatives like Workshops by Request, where theatre artists travel to far flung areas of the province to assist theatre group in the development of their craft. Safe Stages was a two-year project that resulted in a comprehensive safety manual, specifically designed for the theatre world, that was distributed to theatre groups and organizations large and small.

Theatre Alberta has grown to become the confluence of theatrical rivers of practice, the mechanism by which you find out what's happening in the largest of houses to the smallest of community theatres, from the world of the equity actor to the world of high school drama. Publishing a monthly e-newsletter (Theatre Buzz) and a quarterly magazine (All Stages), Theatre Alberta keeps these physically disparate, universally engaged, interests connected.

This organization is heading into challenging, yet interesting, waters. With provincial funding cuts expected, along with new leadership from incoming Executive Director Keri Ekberg, this is going to be a dynamic time for the board and staff. But, there is strength in numbers and infinite potential in good intentions.

To find out more visit the Theatre Alberta website at http://www.theatrealberta.com/, or call toll-free at 1-888-422-8160. If you love being involved in theatre, no matter where you are in Alberta, this is an organization that you MUST join!

April 24, 2010 - 192 pounds, 28.2% body fat

Recession? What Recession?

I decided to walk to work this morning, the first time in months. My route took me from Father Mercredi on to Hill then on to Fitzsimmons. I ducked through a right-of-way near the Wood Buffalo Housing units behind the River City Centre and finally found my way to the loop road. And that's where all signs of a recession came to an end.

Construction projects abound in the lower town site of Fort McMurray. Looking across the skyline, you'll notice the protruding peaks of varying sizes of cranes. In this part of town, in the area that was once called the "Prairie", buildings are popping up in every available nook and cranny, almost faster than you can blink.

One of the biggest construction projects sits behind Save On Foods and adjacent to Rona, a massive condominium project with retail space on the ground floor--the River Ridge Centre. I did some quick math on my walk-by this morning on one wing of the complex and counted about ten suites per floor times six floors above the retail level. I'm guessing the cost of each unit would be north of $500,000 which equates to over $30 million in housing units. Make that over $100 million for the entire development.

A prefab concrete parking structure is going up in one spot, while a commercial development rises just a half block down the road. I was walking to work at 7:30 am and I passed hordes of construction crews trying to eek out as many hours of daylight as possible to keep up with the work.

Recession? What recession? Fort McMurray is humming and there is no end in sight.

April 22, 2010 - 191.8 pounds, 28.3% body fat

Remembering the Boat People

If you grew up in the 1970's, the term "Boat People" might mean something to you. If you are of the younger set, you might twist up your eye brows when one of us Gen Xers mentions the term. Memories of the Vietnamese Boat People came into my mind today while playing my first game of badminton in well over twenty years. I'll make the connection between the game and the people in a moment.

"Boat People" is a generic terms for those who leave their country by boat to seek asylum from persecution, usually on junky crafts, unsafe and often unseaworthy. In the late 1970's and well into the 1980's over one million resident of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) fled by water to escape the communist swell in that part of the world. Several ended up in my hometown of Kamsack, Saskatchewan, and they were awesome badminton players.

Every Friday night we would walk over to the KCI gym, a short half block walk from our house, in our Adidas sweat pants, carting rackets made by companies like Black Knight, Wilson and Yonex. The game was so popular back then that the courts would be filled, often with players sitting on the sidelines waiting for their turns. We would play for hours, often doubling over with exhaustion from the competitive matches.

Getting a chance to play one of the Boat People was something special. One of the guys worked at the local grocery store, his name is sitting there, somewhere in the back of my brain, refusing to reveal itself. But he was an incredible talent on the court, lightening fast, instinctive, and tireless. At the height of my game, probably in grade ten or eleven, I gave him a run for his money. I think I won the match, but I'm pretty sure I almost killed myself doing it.

Our tradition was to play until 11 pm, at which time we'd walk home and watch the latest episode of SCTV, back when it had migrated from Edmonton to Toronto and was one of the hottest shows on television. Artists like John Candy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas were about to explode as some of the most successful comic actors in the business.

That was the early 1980's. I joined some of my staff on the court today and had a blast reliving a glorious period in my life when I was actually good at a sport. It was also nice to remember those incredible players who had crossed the ocean at their peril in hopes of a better life on the Saskatchewan prairie.

April 21, 2010 - 193 pounds, 28% body fat

The Book of Negroes

I don't know what possessed Lawrence Hill to research and write The Book of Negroes? I'm sure if I plugged in the right search terms in Google I could find the answer. Or, perhaps I could reread his introduction in the illustrated version of the award winning novel that has moved millions. Regardless of why he wrote it, I'm glad he did, just like I'm glad his brother Dan wrote "Sometimes When We Touch" all those years ago. Did you know they were brothers?

The Book of Negroes chronicles the imaginary life of Aminata Diallo who was kidnapped from her home in Bayo, Africa as an 11 year-old child and marched to Bance Island where she was swept away in the thriving slave trade of the eighteenth century.

Trying to imagine the months long voyage across the Atlantic aboard the cramped and inhumane slave vessels is truly unimaginable. But through his evocative use of language the sights, sounds, smells, physical sensations and sheer horror comes alive.

From her first years in the New World on St. Helena's Island, slaving at the indigo trade--the precious substance used to dye clothes, to her time in Charles Town "catching babies" and plying the books of Solomon Lindo, the official inspector of indigo for the Province of South Carolina, she persevered.

The story tracks the modern world's slow but steady move toward the abolishment of the slave trade by the British Parliament in 1807 and by the United States Congress in 1808. Slavery itself took a little longer to get rid of, being outlawed in Canada and the United Kingdom in 1834, and thirty-one years later in the US with the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

The Book of Negroes is the largest single document about black people in North America up until the end of the eighteenth century. In it are the names of 3,000 black men, women and children, who, after supporting the British during the Revolutionary War, were granted passage from New York City to British colonies and the promise of a better life. Most of the people in the book found homes in Nova Scotia, in communities like Birchtown, Shelburne, Port Mouton, Annapolis and others.

This is a work of fiction, but this is their story, their chance to be remembered and honoured for their unfathomable capacity for survival.

April 20, 2010 - 192.4 pounds, 28.2% body fat

Out of Sorts Into Balance

I'm a pretty stable human being. From one day to the next I'm generally optimistic, enthused and firing on all cylinders. On the rare day that I'm feeling out of sorts, I always peruse my inventory of responsibilities, stresses and concerns to identify the primary source of the imbalance. If I'm successful in identifying the guilty culprit, I make the necessary adjustments and move on.

I'm out of sorts today. My wife is out of town. Work is crazy right now. And I recently moved into a new office and am feeling a little displaced.

I reached out to my Facebook universe and asked "When you feel out of sorts, what do you do to get back in balance?" The answers are coming in fast furious, which I will share in this blog post, in somewhat real time.

Petal shared that for her, music soothes the savage soul, especially music from her home country. I must have picked up that mental cue because I'm listening my iPod while typing this, the soundtrack to The Bridges of Madison County.

Patricia suggests a glass of wine and some Charles Dickens! Love it, especially the Dickens. I find incredible solace within the pages of a good book. I just spent an entire week reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, it was incredibly calming.

Bruce from back home in Saskatchewan shuts off his brain for awhile by watching a scary movie or a good cartoon. I like the shutting the brain off idea, but I do that by having a short nap or slowing my heart rate down. I also like the thought of watching a scary movie, preferably Scary Movie, which I just think is too funny.

Our dear friend Beth from Red Deer, who dropped off a beautiful card at the house when she was up in Wood Buffalo visiting (we were down south in Mexico) -- Thank You Beth -- slips into her hot tub, set at a roasty toasty 107 degrees, no jets, just the silence of the great outdoors. I had an outdoor hot tub once, but one winter's night the breaker tripped turning it into the world's smallest skating rink by morning. I only use other people's hot tubs now.

Life coach Gary says to change the thoughts and balance will return. That is a very "glass is half full" perspective that I truly appreciate. How we think about things makes all the difference in the world.

For Susan finding her balance is a three step process: go for a walk, phone a friend and listen to music, in that specific order. Ironically and completely by accident I came home from a walk, talked to my wife (my best friend) on the phone and now I'm listening to music.

Judi in Delaware goes to the beach. Just being near the ocean grounds her right away. Judi, I'm completely feeling that, fondly remembering the beach at Playa del Carmen early in the morning. The closest thing we have to an ocean is the river, which is just around the corner and through the forest.

My dear friend Sana made me laugh with her response. "If I have access to a beach, I go there...if not, I call my 911 masseuse for a one hour therapy, if not available I head for the hot tub. I know I can't afford to get out of sorts, so I just suck it up and get going again..." The phrase "just suck it up" just makes me smile, I can't explain why.

Anna in Ottawa suggests to breathe. A few minutes of stillness can work wonders.

Elizabeth goes to the gym and does a kick ass cardio routine so the body and mind get exhausted. Or she calls her cousin who is battling cancer yet has the most extraordinary will to live that she inspires everyone around her. I should call my Uncle Joe, facing life or death surgery in the coming days, that would quickly put things into perspective. Thanks Liz.

Michelle spins when her world is spinning. "There's something about the rhythm and the feel of fibre in your hands that makes everything good." This suggestion resonates strongly, except for me it's doing dishes that has a similar effect. The feel of the soapy hot water and dish cloth in my hands is deeply grounding.

Thanks for the ideas, they are all excellent. I feel better already.

April 19, 2010 - 191.2 pounds, 30.2% body fat

The Birds

Who needs the Weather Channel when you have birds. Just watch them closely and they'll tell you everything you need to know.

Driving home from Edmonton last week, returning from our holiday in Mexico a day late due to the mammoth spring snowstorm that nearly entombed Wood Buffalo, I kept noticing pairs of Canada Geese off on the sides of the road. Mates I suspected, although biology was never my strong suit, they very well might have been two birds of the same persuasion for all I know, but they were most definitely hanging out in pairs. It was as if they were taking a pause, waiting for the weather to improve before heading north.

One pair of Canada Geese after another passed, on the left side then on the right, then another pair on the left. Then I saw what was holding them back, a massive cloud bank containing the storm that had pummeled Wood Buffalo for a full 48 hours. The birds knew to wait.

Apart from the requisite crows, ravens and magpies, it was the redpolls we saw throughout the winter--survivors. They were having their dance in the flower beds long before the true start of spring.

Sitting in the living room, finishing the final pages of The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, a flutter in the garden out front caught my eye--the first robin of the season. The bird songs have changed, suggesting that winter is truly over. The music in the dark, now joyful and optimistic, forecasts brilliant weather ahead and the beginning of the season of renewal.

April 18, 2010 - 189.8 pounds, 28.3% body fat

Websites to Live For

What is the one website (besides Facebook) that you couldn't live without? I asked that question of my Friends in the social media world and it inspired a long list of interesting answers. I thought it would be fun to share some of those on the Middle Age Bulge blog, along with links in case you're interested in exploring. This could be the activity you've been looking for on that rainy, nothing-to-do day in the future.

Many who responded would feel lost and alone without their favourite email or communication-based website, with Gmail, Hotmail and Skype popping up several times. There were others who jumped to other obvious choices like Google, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace. One suggested that living without online banking sites would be catastrophic, a suggestion that I concur with completely--I can't recall the last time I physically had to be in a bank.

Digging deep beyond the first third of essential websites into the second third, we start to discover some of the more interesting answers. Ken Steele from Academica Group loves an online product by Apple called MobileMe that allows him to sync his calendar and contacts across platforms: laptop, desktop, iPhone and iPad. For a communicator who spends a lot of his time traveling, meeting new people every day, it is a life saver.

I thought the Environment Canada choice of a high school classmate in Saskatchewan was excellent. "It makes sense," she wrote. "We live in a province where if you want the weather to change, wait five minutes." I'm with you Dana. When I want definitive direction on what's happening outside, I gravitate to this website, too.

There were also some intriguing choices of resource websites like CinemaClock, that gives you cinema schedules, movie information and links for trailers for any movie playing in any theatre in the country. Another movie buff must would be imdb.com, the Internet movie database site that I've referred to time and again to look at the cast lists of long forgotten films. Candice is going through a genealogy phase and can't live without ancestry.ca while Jayme,a scrapbookaholic, lives on scrapbookingfanatics.com. Anthony back in Saskatchewan suggested a great photo blogging site called aminus3.com while Barb in Sherwood Park suggested the ultimate site for those who like to cook, foodtv.ca.

Beyond the second third we emerge into the land of the third third ideas, the most interesting, the game changers, the ones the compelled me to go visit right away. For writers, LiveJournal looks exceptionally useful. For television and movie watchers, fly over to TVShack and look at their incredible menu of offerings, all for free. And finally, two websites that are just plain interesting, lettersofnote.com and informationisbeautiful.net.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the conversation. These are great ideas that could alter the surfing habits of many of us.

Note: references to the first, second and third third ideas relate to Tim Hurson's theories on productive thinking from his best-selling book, Think Better.

April 17, 2010 - 191.2 pounds, 29% body fat

River Break 2010

I missed it completely this year. Normally, I'm hyper aware of when the Athabasca River may or may not break up, that point in the season when the ice flow pushes through town on its way to the Delta and beyond into Lake Athabasca. It fizzled away about two hours ago, days ahead of when I thought it would go. I saw a posting on Facebook, then went to the Regional Muncipality of Wood Buffalo website where they have a webcam view of the river, from just south of the bridges.

On average the big river breaks up around April 19th or 2oth. But this spring has been extraordinarily odd. First, we had two weeks of short sleeve weather at the end of February that not only obliterated what little snow we had, it significantly reduced the ice levels on the river systems. Then it got cold again, then warm, then cold, then BAM! -- three feet of wet heavy snow.

That incredible amount of moisture followed by warm weather and lots of sunshine acted as a lubricant, coaxing the frozen river crust on its merry way and ushering in another blessed fishing season.

April 15, 2010 - 190 pounds, 29.5% body fat

Spring springs surprises

I moved into this house over a decade ago. In those years, despite torrential downpours, crazy snow melts and other twists and turns offered up by Mother Nature, we have had no issues with water in the basement. This year has been different.

Last fall, Heather asked herself, "How can I get some moisture into the front flower bed on a regular basis?" The bed sits underneath the four or five foot overhang of the roof and seldom gets any rain, unless the wind is blowing directly from the south, a rare occurrence in this part of the world.

"Why don't I redirect the water from the eavestroughing directly into the bed?" she asked.

So, just before freeze-up she jerry-rigged the downspout to empty its flowing treasures right into the middle of the thirsty flower bed. When the accumulated snows made an early, yet temporary departure this February, all that water found a path to the foundation and made it's way down to the frost line where it discover a route, albeit tiny, into the basement and on to our floor. We moved the downspout, soaked up the moisture, and all was well, or so we thought.

Today I discovered another pool of water in a different spot in the basement, directly below our back door. Unable to handle the volume of water being created by the hot sun beating down on the two feet of snow on the roof, the eaves have been overflowing, right on to our back stoop, which inclines ever so slightly toward the house.

The lesson to be learned is never to take water for granted. It can find its way into the smallest of cracks and gather where you least suspect it. And even though you've lived in a place for a long time, surprises are still to be expected when it comes to a house and how it interacts with the seasons.

April 14, 2010 - 189.2 pounds, 29.7% body fat

In Sickness and in...

I started getting hot flashes late in the afternoon, followed by a twinge in my stomach after supper. By the time the kids were in bed, after a healthy dose of WWE Monday Night Raw, I figured out that I was coming down with something.

As I pulled back the sheets and crawled into bed I was shivering as the fever began to take hold. As is the case each time I run a temperature during sleep, I hallucinated throughout the night, images of WWE running through my mind, of Batista and Sheamus, of huge crowds and David Hasselhoff--he was the guest host this week. What a nightmare!

I crawled out of my bed at the usual time, just after 6 am, hopped on my handy dandy Shoppers Drug Mart weight scale. My weight reading was one of the lowest since I began the Middle Age Bulge blog on December 26 while my body fat percentage was one of the highest. I'm not certain how that happens, but it's something to work on.

Outside of two 30 minute breaks, I slept through the entire day, immovable and weak. Heather says she still loves me, even though I'm sick. That's a blessing because I've been pretty useless today.

April 13, 2010 - 190.6 pounds, 30.7% body fat

Mexican Memories

As the water from the rapidly melting snow streams off the roof into the growing puddles below, it's a perfect time to reflect back on our week in Mexico and extract my top ten memories while they are fresh.

In no particular order:

1. The earnestness of the people. They work hard for little pay with joy in their hearts.


2. Getting to know our Sandos Hotels & Resorts friend, Erdem. Originally from Turkey, he made his fortune in America before getting sacked by the recession. He now lives in Playa del Carmen with his family and loves it. A great sales rep who is a shining example of what excellent customer service is all about.


3. Playing in the waves. There is nothing like it.


4. Watching Dylan and Ben be brothers, creating their own world of play, on the beach or in the water.


5. Experiencing the grand finale show at Xcaret. Not to be missed. Favourite moment: when the Spanish mandolin player began making beautiful music with the Mayan flute player.


6. Delighting in freshly made guacomole. Yummy!


7. Hot temperatures during the day and fantastic air conditioning at night in Casa Mah. If you are looking for a place to hang your heads in Playa del Carmen, we give Casa Mah our highest recommendation.


8. Siestas with Heather. I love a country where napping is encouraged.


9. The grumpy face-baked pinapple topped busy body who yelled at the kids for making so much noise in the pool (and the comments she inspired on Facebook)


10. The certainty that we will return to swim with the dolphins, play with the monkeys and experience more of what the Mayan Riviera has to offer.

We began planning our Mexican adventure by asking for advice from our Facebook compadres. Playa del Carmen rose to the top as the destination of choice. After a full week in paradise, we now understand why.

April 12, 2010 - 192 pounds, 29.7% body fat

Perfect Storm

While we were flying across North America en route from Cancun to Edmonton, a gargantuan spring snowstorm hit Wood Buffalo. By the time we landed and got settled into our hotel, the winds were slamming up against the windows, causing an eerie whine, but no snow. We knew what was happening back home thanks to a flurry of comments on the social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Thanks to the advice of many, we opted to layover an extra day in the big city, waiting for the storm to pass.

We headed north this morning, enjoying a sunny sky and perfect conditions up until Boyle, at which point there was a massive cloud bank and the beginning signs of the storm lurking off in the distance. Conditions got worse and worse the closer we got to home, rough patches in abundance from Grassland to Mariana Lake and completely snow covered for the final stretch.

The boughs of the trees were hanging heavy with the incredible weight of what must have been a perfect storm. The ditches were piled high with sculpted drifts and the remnants of more than one errant vehicle that ventured into their clutches.

Turning off of Fraser on to Demers, the force of the storm came fast into perspective, with the graders having cleared a path just to allow some movement of vehicles. Our driveway was completely blocked with heavy immovable chunks of ice laden snow. The roof was blanketed in about 30 centimetres of snow, the steps up to the house virtually impassable.

Arriving for the aftermath, it's hard to fathom what transpired over the past 48 hours. We're grateful to have arrived safe and sound, even if we got home a full day later than expected.

April 11, 2010 - weight and body fat% available...but I shall wait until morning for the weigh-in

Waving Goodbye

The night air is still, stirred only by the air conditioners and the slowly turning ceiling fans. I can't sleep with the anticipation of our long trip tomorrow. Normally I write the Middle Age Bulge blog in the early morning or evening, very rarely in the middle of the night as sleep seldom eludes me. Dylan and Ben are snug in their beds, exhausted after a vigorous day of battling the waves on the Playa del Carmen beach. They were particularly big today, and strangely, full of debris.

"The lifeguards are very interested in what's happening," observed Heather. "They keep going back and forth talking about it."

The water had been pristine all week with nothing but a few bunches of seaweed popping out of the water from time to time. But today, it was a floating mass of brown comprising about half of the swimming area, immobile, lurking, littered with small bits of flotsam.

The Playa beach recently underwent a $70 million refurbishment after a long period of natural erosion. Over a two week period this January, the waterfront was restored by pumping white sand from the ocean on to the land.

The anchor of their tourism trade, the beaches of the Mayan Riviera are treasured and nurtured. Every morning crews of workers groom and clean this wide swath of public beach, running several kilometres from the ferry dock to Calle 14. The first crew gathers all the bits of seaweed into piles then either trucks them off or buries them in the sand. All the bits of flotsam are removed. They will have an especially busy day tomorrow.

It was so much fun being in the water as much as we could. With the sun reflecting hard off the brilliant white sand and temperatures ranging between 85 - 90 Fahrenheit, we were careful to limit the length of time we spent unprotected from the UV rays. Today was probably the longest stretch, enjoying over 90 minutes riding the waves.

If you're reading this and considering a trip to this incredible area, I wouldn't give it a second's hesitation. We would certainly recommend the unit that we stayed in the past week. Barb and Gerry have been tremendously welcoming (from a distance, as they live in Guelph), Marcelo the maintenance man/security guard was wonderful, and the proximity to everything is amazing. Check out http://www.casamah.com/ and tell them you read read about their place on Russell's blog. They'll get a tickle out of it.

April 9, 2010 - weight and body fat% n/a

Masks

Ben had his heart set on a Mayan mask since we spotted them during our first walk down fifth avenue in Playa del Carmen. So, on our second to last day in the Riviera, we gave both boys a budget of $1,000 pesos to spend however they liked. Ben made a beeline right to the first kiosk we went to back on day one, just up from the gelato store.

Dylan had made the first purchase here last Saturday, a wrestling mask for about $250 pesos. They keep a wide selection of these items front and centre to attract the kids, and ultimately, their parents. The booth itself is actually a store, tiny with concrete walls, maybe one hundred square feet. But it is packed with wooden masks and small handmade items, making it feel very full.

The best hand carved masks are on the back wall of the small space, each containing symbology depicting the Mayan culture, snakes, jaguars and the like.

"Did you make these?" I asked the friendly vendor.

"Not me, my family: my Uncle and Grandmother," he replied.

Dylan selected another Mysterio mask and Ben settled on the much more interesting carved Mayan mask--$1,000 pesos all in.

Continuing our walk up fifth, the shopping themes and pitches began to repeat themselves, as the street was relatively quiet and we attracted a lot of attention.

"Cuban cigars Senor?" shouted several smiley vendors.

"It costs you nothing to look!" suggested several others.

"You want a great deal for Xcaret?" pitched several of the vacation planning guys, colleagues of Jaime, who got us into the park for a sparkling deal a few days earlier.

"No gracias, we already went," snapped Heather, getting tired of being constantly pummelled with offers.

Each wrestling mask vendor has different qualities of product and different starting prices. Up to this point we had not done any bargaining. However, when one guy tried to sell us a Mysterio mask for $480 pesos I just couldn't hold back.

"We just saw that same mask for $200 pesos!"

"Just for you (indicating my son) $250 pesos."

"No. It was $200 pesos just over there."

"OK, special price, $200 pesos. OK!"

In driving around yesterday with our host Erdem, I suggested that a Playa del Carmen shopping tips website would be a grand idea. As foreigners we have no idea what the "right price" is for anything. I'm fairly certain that at $200 pesos, or roughly $20 CAN, they are still making a tremendous profit--a fact that gives me no displeasure as they are a hardworking people whose livelihood depends on the shopping whims of us touristas. It was nice to excericise our whims for a few hours and leave behind some of our good fortune.

April 8, 2010 - weight and body fat% n/a

Xcaret

Xcaret is a short ten minute taxi ride from downtown Playa del Carmen, the site of a Maya civilization archaelogical site and a massive eco-tourism attraction. We spent the whole day there yesterday, exploring ancient ruins, floating down an underground river, adoring a bale of gargantuan sea turtles and a pod of dolphins, and battling the heat of a typical Mayan Riviera day.

I believe, although I'm not 100% sure, that this was the place highly recommended by Angele up in the Keyano Foundation office before we left on this trip. She described an incredible attraction capped off by an evening performance that is out of this world. Based on what we got to experience last night, I'm thinking we went to the right place.

As the sun begins to set at Xcaret, visitors and staff from around the 200 acre park begin streaming towards the Teatro Grand Tlacho, an imposing structure that dominates the skyline with covered open air seating for over six thousand visitors. And while we had heard there were only four thousand in the park that day, we didn't want to take a chance on getting crappy seats, so we made our way into the venue 45 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.

The pathways, wide and cobbled, curl around the structure, lined with ancient Mayan characters, played by actors in full costume, bodies adorned with intricate ancient designs and astounding make-up. Sizzling day had turned into lurking dark as fire lit torches illuminated the path.

We picked out seats, strategically near the exit, about half way up the long side of the arena style theatre. If Dylan needed to use the washroom during the show, the last thing I wanted to do was to have to crawl over people in the dark. It was the perfect spot, just to the left of a giant waterfall, a seemingly natural wonder that had been worked into the final design of the space.

"I wonder if that's real?" I asked Dylan, pointing to the waterfall. "Or, do you think they'll flip a switch and shut it off when the show starts?"

"I don't know," he said. "We'll just have to wait and see."

The lights dimmed and a performer appeared to my left, flooded in a blue light, rocking an incense holder back and forth, I assume blessing the performance and the story about to be told.

What followed was a history of Mexico told through music, song, dance and sport. The boys particularly liked the Mesoamerican ball game where two teams faced off against each other attempting to get a large hard rubber ball into one of two hoops, affixed perpendicular to the side walls of the playing field, at the top of a raked slope. They had to move the ball about using only their hips. I can't seem to find the historical background of the Mayan fireball game they played, but it really resembled hockey. Two teams outfitted with what looked to be hockey sticks, battled to get a flaming ball into the opposing team's net. Incredible!

The performance artfully captured the rich history of Mexico, from the arrival of indiginous peoples from the north to the development of rich Aztec and Mayan cultures, from the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century to Mexican independance and eventual war with the United States.

The entire company had to number in the hundreds, with performers appearing all over the massive theatre, and filling the arena below. The music, the singing, the games, all happened in front of our eyes, creating a spectular presentation.

There was a moment that stood out for me, when the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, as a lone Spanish mandolin player slowly walked out on the empty field playing this hauntingly beautiful ballad. An indigineous flute player joined him, providing this lush harmony and a gorgeous song, symbolizing two disperate peoples who came together to create a country that now has the largest population of Spanish speaking people in the world, and the largest population of Native American language speakers on the continent.

Xcaret is an amazing ecopark, with great attractions and activities, but coming here and missing the closing spectacular would just be a sin. It was unforgettable. And for the record, I looked to my left halfway through the first act, and realized that the waterfall had, in fact, been turned off so as to not disturb the show.

April 6, 2010 - weight and body fat% n/a

In the Wee Small Hours

I don't think Playa del Carmen ever sleeps. Even in the wee small hours of the morning there is activity around every turn. Out of the Coco Bongo, an exotic and highly popular nightclub, pours the young and foolish, strangers in the night and friends by morning. The barkeeps and security guards quietly wait for nothing at all, except the end of a long shift and the dawn of a new day.

Even at sunrise, touristas like me are wandering the streets and beach trying to capture the flavour of the hour and understand the difference between night and day.

I'm somewhat convinced that they have a mantra in Playa, whereby if you are a tourism employee, of any kind, when you make eye contact with a customer, you must engage them.

"Ola," smiles the waiter cleaning the floors from a long night of devil may care.

"Buenas dias!" murmers the security guard feelin' kinda Sunday.

We have noticed that the workers are mainly men, familiar, a friend of yours you just hadn't met yet.

In the wee small hours of the morning in Playa, the smells are of the night before, of spilled cerzeca and of the sea, caressing the beach relentlessly, night after night--always, a love song without words.

As the wind blows fresh over the water and on to the Mayan Riviera coast the feeling is too marvellous for words, a refreshing, crystallizing, luxuriating wash. You can't help but feel young at heart in a place that offers this kind of experience, day in, day out.

April 6, 2010 - weight and body fat% n/a

Third World & Religion

We are basking in the lap of luxury in Playa del Carmen, five star hotels, all-inclusive resorts, fancy shops and more restaurants than you can imagine. But make no mistake that this is a country that must be considered third world.

Our day began with a start, as the time had changed the night previous, shooting ahead an hour. Jaime (pronounced HI me) was due to meet us outside the doors of our condo at 9 am to take us to the Sandos Resort for a tour and "sales presentation", in exchange for deeply discounted tickets to Xcaret, the incredible eco park just a few minutes up the Riviera coast. Thinking it was 8 am, we were all in a state of undress when he arrived. We quickly put our things together and piled into a taxi.

The Sandos Resort offers unparraleled security, as tourism is one of Mexico's most precious resources, the other being oil. They protect their tourists in a way that is very deliberate and highly visible, armed guards and police omnipresent, everywhere in the tourist zone.

Our hosts were Erdem and Eduardo, Erdem being the lead and Eduardo being the trainee. We had agreed to give 90 minutes of our time for the sales presentation in exhchange for a significant $200 USD savings to the park. I also saw it as an opportunity to see what an all-inclusive resort was like.

As we toured around the resort and heard the "pitch", it was my first opportunity to ask some questions. I had made a comment about how friendly the people had been to us so far, the servers, salespeople and shop keepers, and that they appeared to work so hard and so long. We found out two shocking bits of information: that the average server or hospitality worker makes between $7 - $8 USD per day, or less than $100 pesos. They also work about 16 hours a day.

"They are happy with this," beamed Erdem, a transplant from Turkey, who is living the life of his dreams with his wife and triplets right on the Sandos Resort.

"How do they make it by?" I asked. "The prices in the Walmart we went to are no different than our prices back home."

"Oh, they don't shop there," he replied. "They shop in their locals markets and often grow their own vegetables. In most cases, they also live far from the city centre, where it is far more affordable."

Their work ethic and service excellence is extraordinary, warm hearted and welcoming people. The fact that they earn less than $1 an hour was a little shocking for me. But, the truth is that this is my first visit to a place where the gap between rich and poor is so wide.

Our condo is adjacent to a Catholic church. As it is the Easter season, there have been three masses a day, one early in the morning and two in the evening. The place is overflowing with worshippers with the doors wide open, the sound and song flowin out onto the street and into our suite. Food vendors sit outside on the street, one lined up after another, waiting for the service to end. As the closing song begins, the throng slowly meanders out, long line-ups forming for post-mass treats combined with smiles and fellowship.

This is an interesting place, where two worlds collide, but in a most friendly way. Signing off for this Middle Age Blog post, the church bells are ringing as the faithful gather one more time to celebrate mass, another day in Mexico has dawned.

April 5, 2010 - weight and body fat % n/a

Easter Sunday in Mexico

It is Easter Sunday, day three of being in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This is an incredible tourist mecca, with streams of people from around the world flowing down fifth avenue. But unlike some of my more recent travels, the stores, restaurants, bars and small shops in this place are of high quality, beautifully designed and maintained. Everything looks and feels new here.

The moment we stepped off the plane and into the airport at Cancun, the air was instantly hot and moist. And as soon as we cleared customs, just as Graham warned, it was a gauntlet of smiling salesmen trying to get our attention and our money, smartly dressed and entirely polite Mexicans. "No nessecito! No nessecito!" was the planned rallying cry to get us through, although "No thank you" was the actual response, said many times over.

We took the bus from the airport in Cancun to the heart of Playa, a short 40 minute trip through lush countryside and massive all-inclusive resorts lining the Carribean coast, gargantuan and heavily fortified facades providing a cloak of protection to the world's wealthy and those that wish they were. The other side of the highway was a little rougher, hollowed out buildings, abandoned houses and housing developments in the infancy stages of development.

The bus dropped us on the south end of 5th avenue on Juarez, and we began our six block journey through tens of thousands of people going this way and that. All of a sudden we were outside the gates of Playa Kaan Condos, our destination and home for the next seven days. The security guard, Marcelo, let us in while we waited from the property management representative to let us in and show us around the unit owned by friends Barb and Gerry from Guelph. We've never met them, but through many emails and mutual associations, they feel like friends.

The last half of the first day was all about getting unpacked and oriented. Day two became and exploring, going for a morning swim in the ocean, stocking up on supplies at the bustling Walmart a few blocks down the road, having a much anticipated siesta and checking out some of the shops before enjoying a mid-afternoon gelato.

I keep saying to the boys how grateful I am that we have the chance to do this as a family. Seeing the wonder in Ben's eyes as he watches and listens to the musicians that come around and perform for tips is wonderful. Listening to Dylan as he interacts with the waiters and has enormous fun with his brother is fantastic. This is a special memory that will stick with them for a long time.

For Heather and I this is a time of renewal, of rest. Time is standing still, as I knew it would.

It is Easter Sunday in Mexico and we are going to tour an all-inclusive family resort this morning, then off to a full day at Xcaret, the eco park that is the Mexican Disneyland. Happy Easter to the readers of the Middle Age Bulge blog.

April 4, 2010 - weight and body fat% n/a

BlackBerryless

I left my BlackBerry at home for my last morning of work before leaving on our holiday. I didn't mean to leave it at home, perched up on its ledge where it gets charged up overnight, but I think leaving it at home is a good thing. This needs to be my weaning off period, my electronic detox.

For the next twelve days I will be without my constant companion, "my little friend". I made the decision to truly go "off the grid" as the boss gave me permission to do so, and that it made practical economic sense. I've heard horror stories of people using cell phones and BlackBerrys when out of country and getting stung with horrendous phone bills upon their return. So, in these austere times, leaving it up on the ledge makes sense.

But what does this unparalleled separation mean to my psychology? Most importantly, it allows me to park my connection to everything back home, to truly shut things off and focus on nothing but relaxing and hanging out with my family. Honestly, this hasn't happened for more than a couple of days at a stretch for four years, since Keyano College invested in BlackBerrys for its administrative staff.

I won't be able tweet, something I'm prone to doing while sitting around observing things. I won't be able to update my Facebook status--pass the Tylenol please! I won't be able to keep on top of my email Inbox, which will grow by hundreds in just a matter of days.

What I'm certain to discover is that this disconnection, this forced separation from responsibility, accountability and my electronic universe is actually freeing. I fully suspect that time will stop and that seven days in Mexico will feel like 14 or 21. And I can gain comfort by reminding myself that when I pull into the driveway, open up the door, walk down the hall and look up at the ledge, my BlackBerry will still be there, happily chirping away.

April 1 - 2010 193.4 pounds, 27.9% body fat