Merry Christmas to everyone, and good luck with your personal journeys.

When I returned home I was shocked to find that the company I work for had sold off parts of the company and downsized yet again, 3rd time in 3 years,  I think it's about as far as you can take it now, fingers crossed.  I survived the cuts again.  I spent the rest of summer being a tourist in my own back yard, touring the province, and visiting places I had not seen since I was young.  It's still amazing, although seeing it when I was smaller made some of it look small now lol.  As a family we are planning to tour the northern part of the province next summer, I look forward to seeing the pan handle of Alaska.

Now that fall is upon us, the family switches focus to our winter activities, my son is in hockey as most of you know and my daughter is starting her second year as a junior in figure skating (Alice in Chains - Rooster) I have started coaching, my son's team and my wife has become heavily involved with the skating club with our daughter.  I have talked at length about my son's hockey, and well here I go again, last year was his first year, he was unknown, this year he missed the rep team by 2 spots.  This is a credit to his drive and desire to achieve great things, he was affiliated to the rep team, which means that he is attached to the team and can be called up when required through injuries or what have you ( mch like the farm system in pro sports) after the tryout the Rep coach sat him down and told him what he needed to work on to be a better more rounded player.  For my son this was a big deal, it was his first experience with understanding the importance of his development.  My daughter has gone through much of the same experience with figure skating, she was the most improved skater in her club last year and finished first in 2 club compettions last season, this season she was invited out for the syncro team.  It's so fun watching the success of both of them.

I still check in on tools on a regular basis, I read old program days and refer to many lessons when I feel I need a tune up, being aware that I need a tune up has been on going ( Spin Doctors - Two princes) sometimes I catch it right away, othertimes it takes a bit of self evaluation before the light comes on, but it always does.  It's awesome seeing new people here everyday, and it's also great to see peopel I have connected with here through out my time in Tools.  For all you new toolers, all I can say is stick with it, sometimes it's tough but I can tell you if you get through you will never be sorry you did.

The Juice is worth the squeeze!

Thanks for reading

Good Luck

JP

(soundtrack Eminem- Not Afraid)  I sat down and read old blogs of mine and of others I got back in my routine, a cup of coffee and tools,  great morning great coffee great music and great reading,  aaaaaaaaahhhhh much better!  It's when life becomes a whirlwind when we seldom realize the indexes that bring it back to earth,  for over 2 years here, I have learned to relax and reset.  Its awesome!

In January I started playing hockey again, and in 3 weeks or so I am turning 40 and playing in an over 40 spring league! I'll be the youngest guy!  I watched my son develop in ice hockey this year from a timid first year line filler to a goto guy in times that matter centering his own line running up time on the power play and penalty kill.  He inspired me to start again.  My daughter ditched hockey skates for figure skates in dec. and won her first competition and i come to find out that her club is giving her the most improved skater award this week...... Truly inspirational!  I'm not saying watch for me in the NHL draft in July, but I'm definitly going to have fun with this.  (soundtrack The pogues- If I should fall from the grace of God)  I hope all of you are finding as much success in the simplest parts of life too.

Thanks for reading, it's good to be back! I missed you all

Good Luck!

JP

Hockey has started, and as TenaciousJ can attest, there is a certain madness I enjoy in Hockey, and this year my son has joined the mix, out of the blue in May he said "Dad, (thats what he calls me, when i can hear him LOL) I want to play Ice Hockey this year." Words that every Canadian dad longs to hear from their sons lips. (enter draft day cut scene here) I contained myself, playing it cool i sat him down and said "Son, (one of the many things I call him) thats awesome! Maybe we should teach you to skate." (thus dispelling another urban legend that Canadian kids are born with skates on their feet and a hockey stick in hand) I hit the interweb to scroll through the hundreds of hockey schools available, find the least convenient one and sign him up (inconvenience builds character) 2 rounds of skate lessons, 4 fulltime hockey camps and 55hrs of summer icetime later, Registration day!

With 55hr of ice under his feet and a bevie of gently used, and previously enjoyed gear he looks up at me and says "maybe i should try-out for the Rep team."  Wow most kids that have been playing hockey have at least a 5 year headstart on my little man, so I sit him down and say "look buddy, if you really want to do that that's awesome, but i have to warn you there is a lot of work involved and you have to be prepared that out of 56 kids only 16 make the team."  He pondered what I said for a min and I fully expected him to say maybe next year then, instead he replies "i won't know if I don't try."  The next week was 7 days of the most intense physically demading exercise I have ever seen, the army has nothing on rep tryouts.  Stride for stride he kept with it, he ran every drill touched every line, finished every check, with enthusiasm, effort, and a work ethic that would rival some of the pros.  His skating lacked polish, and his game lack the technical finish of kids with more experience, but not one of the 10 evaluators, could fault him when they found out the ice time he had, the fact that he has been on skates for less than 6 months, excited them, He got them talking, he got them thinking, in one week my son had made a name for himself.  He never made the rep team (we never expected him to) but he didnt make it easy on the coaches, he went into the peewee draft, and found that the three teams all wanted him, they bargained and negotiated, and chipped for him, they knew his skill will come his polish will follow, and his desire is beyond compare.  There is not many things in life that can make a Dad prouder than knowing that his kids have a desire for life that is beyond compare, knowing that teaching them about hard work pays off, teaching them that they are only limited by their dreams and desires, the brass ring is there for them to take if they want it bad enough, no one can take that away from them.

I know I'm a Dad and there is a certian blind pride, but I have never pushed my kids to do what i dream, I have only pushed them to acheive theirs.  I am inspired by my kids.  Somewhere we learn fear and hesitation, I'm not sure at what age we find it, but I miss not caring what others may think or how things appear.  I hope that supporting the descisions my kids make, through reasoning and understanding, I will do my part to make them great global citizens. 

That is a great legacy!

Thanks for reading

Good luck!

JP

I have the greatest admiration and respect for my friends here at Tools, and for Coach as well, I think I'm just being reflective, you know how you can get in moments of peace....I do feel peaceful....mebbe the moments that count are the ones we can reflect on in times of peace....

I know this blog is out of the blue, I'm not crazy (hahahaha) mebbe i am a bit. 

I just wanted to say hey to all my friends here at tools I am here and I am ALIVE there is a pulse and there is energy...like I said sometimes a boot in the arse is what I need

Take care all and be excellent

Good Luck

Thanks for reading

JP

  We thought lets look at how we do things (now I'm not claiming I created this thought process or invented the idea, this was our mindset.)  We looked at what we could get as close to possible to home, we looked at produce stands, fresh butchers, and local as possible stuff hardware, banking etc..... 

We live in a relativley rural area lots of farms and such, and we found a farm based produce market literally 2 min from home, and it's family owned and operated (support local supports local economies WOOOHOOO!) We have a butcher that we have been going to for years because it's fresh, and ORGANIC again family owned and operated.  Some things we pay a bit more for, but we would be spending that money on gas, so easily justifiable, we don't goto the big box stores as much anymore as they require a 20min drive or so.  It's not unavoidable but we have reduced that trip to once a month.  In the last 2 years or so we have gone from driving a tank of fuel in my truck 4 times a month to 2 times a month.  Work eats that fuel for the most part.  We save 240litres of fuel a month, never mind the money to pay for it, and the carbon footprint we leave behind.  I'm not a major tree hugger or leaf lickin liberal, but i believe as communities we need to look out for each other, MOM and POP shops need to survive, so what if i pay a dollar more for whatever, I'm not driving far, I'm supporting local economies.  Our 20mile diet has literally become 5miles, I have those reuseable bags in my truck all the time, I cringe when a clerk pulls plastic from the rack.  But I love going into a store and get greeted with a familiar face and a "Hey Mr. O"  Man I really do love it!  I've been doing so automatically I havent thought about it for a while.  Thanks Kawasaki!

Think Globally, Act Locally!

Thanks for reading!

Good Luck!

JP

My son has been working so hard with hockey, trying out for the u12 western tournament rep team, getting awards at school, it's unreal after all his struggles this year, he is reaping success and it makes me soooo proud of him. So running from tryouts to practices to meetings is an easy choice....I want that I want to share his success I want to see how good he feels to be successful.

My daughter has been in the same boat big struggles early but ground her way to successes at school (soundtrack Green day - Basket Case) and leadership awards and woot woot Honor roll!

I have a great family unit, that makes me want to work for it.  We havent ridden or camped as much as we have in the past or wanted to this year, but individual success for the family has taken precident, and it's been awesome.  So if it seems like I havent been around here, I havent forgotten about all my friends here, sometimes a gentle nudge snaps me out of it and i slow down a bit to take it in.  Thanks to Lil, Kawaskai, jeffb, tenacious, Coach, and all my friends here for the boosts, I'm shifting gears here for a bit and movin to the slow lane for a few weeks, I'm gonna be around and get myself reaquainted with tools (soundtrack 54-40 - Baby have some faith) Life is a wicked ride, roll down the windows and take it all in! but don't forget to make stops along the way to see how you got here!!

Thanks for reading all. Much Love!

Good Luck!

JP

The wedding was great....I had a good time, I cruised through I handled it all very well, even when things started to come unglued (party time) mind you that never hits me hard, never really has. I feilded all the questions, I was kind cordial and complimentary.  I left early and that started abit of bullshit but I played past it, I truly rose above it I was proud of myself.  (soundtrack Big Sugar- If I had my way)

Now I can move along with life.... I can put all the shit of the past couple weeks behind me and roll on through, I have decided that alot of went on sets in stone where they rank as far as importance in my life.  I'm gonna step back and forget about all of it, if they make an attempt I will definitly reply and respond, but I'm not puttin any effort in to rowin a boat that has a hole in it.  As Neo put it and I hope the quote is correct "Fuck em!"

Thanks for all support and comments.  It made the whole event so much easier to endure, I strode through head held high

Thank you to all of you you all rock!

Good Luck!

60% of the time it works....everytime!

JP

In the spring I decided I need a change of direction for ball, so I left the team in pursuit of a team that was striving to be better and move up to more challenging divisions.  They took it personally.  Asked what they did wrong etc....  They complained that we never see them anymore, With a son in hockey, and a daughter persuing equine sports time is very limited for us.  I have always stopped at there house and made an effort to touch base and catch up. I used to call regularly to see what was up....usuallly had to leave a message but whatever....never got a call in return, slowly I just stopped calling and stopped stopping in, my effort was there.  It bugs me that because i'm not doing all the calling I'm the bad friend now.....grrrrrr.  yet if he sends me a text and needs help or something BAM I'm there. 

On Wed was the rehersal dinner, I was there I participated i took part put in all my efforts....by 8 pm we hadnt eaten dinner, I politely thanked them for everything and I would see them on Sat call if you need anything blah blah blah.....10:30 rolls in and I start getting bad friend text messages topping it off with "I hope she is worth it."  If there is anything that pissed me off more in recent times it's the disrepect I have gotten for quitting drinking and 'partying' that night from him.  Nothing bugs me more than people think that I quit drinking for anyone other than myself  FUCK! (sorry but i'm torqued right now) I quit drinking for me and as a result everything got better my marriage my relationship, my career, my family life, and everything else too.  I'm an alcoholic, I have dealt with that, crossed the bridge and moved on, it seems my so called friends are still on the otherside trying to call me back.  Fuck em!

Sorry I need to take a break from this for a bit, I thought if I could throw this in a blog it would clear my head a bit, but it's gettin me fired up. how dare them.

Thanks for reading all Its mearly a vent of sorts....not even a soundtrack to roll with

One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain

Good luck to all

JP

    The tough thing about camping as well is my wife was in a car wreck in december and the result has meant no quadding, and sitting in a vehicle for any period of time is quite uncomfortable for her.  It breaks my heart knowing she can't ride right now... Last year we put 700miles on our machines (anyone who quads knows thats alot of time in the seat)  We would hit a morning ride for 4-5 hours come back for lunch and hit the trail til sundown.  She worries that this is going to hit hard in the future because that was planned as a big part of our retirement, we want to ride belize and south america, as well as the moab and baja.  I told her not to worry if Travis pastrana can seperate his spine from his pelvis and keep riding, you can get through this too (soundtrack Jason Mraz - I'm Yours)  I can only imagine passing up on the things you love in life, but I love her and support her any way I can, In the long run all gets taken care of.  A bit of faith goes soooo far.  Beating odds is what I do best!  I know she will ride another day, I can feel it in my heart.

   I hope everyone is doing great.  I thank you all for reading.  It's nice sometime things that weigh on the mind are easy to spill here and clear space.  Thanks to all

I don't know if you know this......but I'm kind of a big deal

Peace

JP