Another Dinner Date...Online

I have another dinner date with Daniela tonight.  This time, to celebrate New Year's eve.

Another candlelight dinner.

Board Games In The Prairies

Earlier this Fall I discovered a group of people that get together about once a month to play board games.  I've been a few times, and we play some of my favourite games - Settlers, TTR, Carcassonne,  and Citadel.

We meet at a tea house, which is a bit of a downer, given the great atmosphere that coffee shops offer.  Trouble is, most coffee shops close early around here, 8pm.

Yesterday we played Carcassonne.  Friendly, unassuming people, mostly in my age group.  My guess is people who - like me - have a hard time fitting into the conventional categories of society: married with children.

Good group of people.  I'm thankful.

Panic - A Horrible Feeling

I went skiing today with Michelle.  We went to Wildwood Golf Course and skied for about 30 minutes - about 6 kms.  It felt great - I'm glad one of the first things I did when I moved to Saskatchewan was buying cross country skis!

I felt some chest pain while skiing though, and that concerns me.  I'm not sure where it comes from, but possibly swimming. Sometimes when I go swimming I feel a tremendous sense of panic and shortness of breath.  I try to push ahead and not give up when that happens, but it's a horrible feeling - like I'm drowning or something - when it happens.

I think I'm in worse shape physically than I thought.  I only swim 16 laps (about 500 metres) in total, but by the end I'm physically exhausted.  I don't consider myself a good swimmer, but 500 metres seems like so little.  Plus, it takes me 30+ minutes, 2 breaks included, to complete the swim.

Another thing that bothered me is the pace of my skiing.  I ski so slow.  Michelle is a good and steady skier, but she has skis that are like, 30 years old, and she seems to ski so effortlessly.  Her strides are so smooth, mine seem slow and laboured in comparison.

4+ Hours

I talked to Daniela for a super long time last night.  We started around 10pm, and didn't finish until after 2.

We actually had a dinner date.  We both cooked a meal, and ate it together: she in Sudbury, I in Saskatoon.  I prepared roasted vegetables and fish.

I lit a candle too.

We have so much to talk about.

Merry Christmas.

Alone At Christmas

It snowed today.  I'm glad to be here for Christmas...

I look forward to spending Christmas together with Daniela.  I just wish we lived in the city so we could enjoy each other's company...

I'm somewhat surprised at my indifference towards staying here and not going "home" to BC for Christmas.  Family is important, but family can also be the source of great stress, and at this point I feel that family contributes more alienation than belonging.

The source of this feeling of alienation that I have is definitely related to my feelings towards my mother.  It's hard to talk about it, it hurts.  How could I be so at odds with her?  How could thoughts about her generate so much heaviness of heart?

I don't feel respected.

Daniela

I sent Daniela the first note on October 16th.

Then Ms. Indian Head came in the picture.  Daniela seemed uninterested anyways.

Then I exited the Ms. Indian Head scene, and at about the same time, Daniela came back in.

Early December we started to talk on Skype.

And that has continued, every night, for the past few weeks.

We're planning to spend Christmas together.  And New Year's too.

I think of her all the time.

Photo

I figured out how to take a screen photo on my Mac, so yesterday while talking to Daniela I pressed the magic key-combo and took a picture.  Here's the result.  Gorgeous.

When she asked what that "Click" sound was, I said "I have no idea..."

Christmas Dinner With Coworkers

Same place as last year: Prairie Harvest Cafe.  Wonderful, I'm amazingly blessed to work with this group of fantastic people.  We have two new team members: Poonam and Jayci.  They just came to us within the last couple months, as Kirstin and Nicole moved away.

It feels like Christmas now.  Great food, great company, presents, laughter, and joy.  Thank you Lord for your continued presence in my life.  I bless and praise you forever!

Pirate Heart...Coming To Town!

Yesterday I spotted this sign:

Oh man, I'm SO looking forward to this concert.  She's going to blow off the roof with her gorgeous voice and piano playing.  I seriously cannot wait...

This is a coup for Saskatoon.

Visiting A Farm

I got to visit Deb and Dwight's farm today, an hour's drive south of Saskatoon.  Carla, Chris, Owen and I drove out there after work.

While there Dwight drove us around, showing us their property.  We were hoping to see some deer, but we only saw some from a distance.

We did see their livestock, horses (both, mini and tall).  The ones pictured below are mini.

It was the first time I was out in really cold weather this winter.  Winter's definitely here now...

After the tour Deb and Dwight fed us some hearty chilli.  Their household is busy, my goodness.  dogs everywhere, running around, chasing each other and anyone or anything else moving.  There were hedgehogs too, in one of the rooms.  The walls are busy too, every square inch covered in farming and ranching paraphernalia, pictures, and other kitsch.

But along with busyness comes life.  There was a rhythm present, a definite sense of life or of being alive. That was super refreshing.

Prairie hospitality is striking, noteworthy.

A Christmas Tradition

How I love Handel's Messiah!  It's truly a work that's stood the test of time, as I never get sick of it.  I listen to it for about two months a year: Advent, leading up to Christmas, and Lent, leading to Easter.

It's truly a treasure the church possesses.

I didn't take the picture below but it shows the context in which I enjoyed it tonight, at Knox United Church.

Sudbury

Last week I blogged about Indian Head, today I'm writing about Sudbury.  Even further away than Indian Head: 3 hours flight to Toronto, then another 1 hour flight, then another 45 minute drive.

But I think this time the motivations are good.  Well, at least better.

Of course, she's still online - how I detest the "online" thing, and yet, it seems to be the only way I can meet people nowadays - but I believe she's a great woman.

European.

Intelligent.

Quiet/thinker.

Younger.

Gorgeous.

Intriguing.

Soft.

Indian Head

A few weeks ago I met a beautiful woman online.  Christian.  But really messed up (I think); loves dogs more than people.

Anyways, I visited her 3 times in Indian Head.  3 hours' drive each time.

I'm attracted to her for all the wrong reasons.  It's obvious.

The things I do for women...

46

I turned 46 today.  My coworkers commemorated the event by presenting me with the t-shirt below.  I wore it proudly.  It reads "The older you get, the better you get - unless you're a banana."

Thanks Deb.

I look happy.  I feel happy.

So much of it has to do with St. Ann's.  My work mates are amazing.  The residents too.  I feel like won the lottery.

Thank you Lord - please continue to have mercy on me!  Amen.

Swimming

I started swimming on a regular basis a couple of months ago and I have to say that while it's a fantastic way to do exercise, I really hate it.  Other than the feeling of accomplishment that I get when my body's tired (and yet strangely energized) at the end of a session, there's very little about swimming that I like.

Most of the time the water temperature of public pools is too cold.

Swimming 50m, the length of the pool, seems like running a marathon.  I'm exhausted by the time I get to the end.  And that's just one length.  I still have to get back to my original starting point.  And then, do it another 14 times.

Every time I put my head underwater I feel like I'm going to drown.  Fifteen minutes into my routine I feel like my lungs are going to explode.

Anyways, all of this to say that when my 10-pack of tickets expires around Christmas time, I think I'm going to stop swimming.  Hopefully by then it'll be cold enough to go cross-country skiing.

Marco

Got a new roommate.  His name's Marco, he's a post-Doc from Italy.  Very smart, very likeable.

It's undeniable that having a housemate has been good for me.  It's made me come out of my shell and be more sociable.

Now, if only this sociable-ness would extend to women.  Not the ones on dating websites ... but the real ones, in flesh in blood...

Marco will work at a the UofS, at a newly formed food research centre.

Cajun

We're in a bit of a transition at work, as Nicole and Kirstin are leaving us.  Nicole's moving to Ontario with her partner, to take on a business there, while Kirstin's moving to BC, as her husband took on a job there.

Tonight was Nicole's going away.  She'd always wanted to try the local cajun restaurant, so she planned her going away dinner to be held here.

Oblate Vows

Today I made my noviciate vows to become a Benedictine Oblate.  This means that going forward, I'm to incorporate the values of ora et labora (prayer and work) into my daily life.  Lectio divina, or spiritual readings, is also part of my commitment to living the Christian life according to the Benedictine tradition.

This new commitment goes very well together with my previous gospel commitments of balance, change (continuous conversion), moderation, simplicity, and stability (commitment).  See this post for previous thoughts I had about becoming an Oblate

Looking back at the influence the Benedictines have had on me, it goes back quite a bit back.  Here's a post from almost 10 years ago that I wrote while working on an assignment at Regent.  It wasn't the beginning of my journey - that came probably 20 years ago when I visited Westminster Abbey in Mission for Easter Sunrise services - but still, it does give insight into the Benedictine way of life.

2015's turning out to be quite a significant year: joining the Catholic Church in April, and now becoming an Oblate.  God's name be praised, always!

Train Bridge

I went north of town today to reacquaint myself with my 40D camera.  I really enjoyed taking some pictures of the city from top of the bridge.

It was a clear and sunny day.  Chilly, but gorgeous.

Salsa

Made salsa today, from my own garden tomatoes.  It's a great feeling, planting, growing, harvesting, and then enjoying the fruits of your labour.