LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

HER BACK-PACK IS ALMOST AS BIG AS SHE IS.

But on Wednesday, my 19-year-old daughter, who will turn 20 on May 3, left with her friend Caitlin on a trip to Europe.

They're scheduled to return on July 9 after having visited Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Venice, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Greece, Florence, La Spezia, Nice and London.



Wow. Double Wow. I'm envious of her, afraid for her, supremely proud of her, knowing of what this will mean for her and her life (because she'll never forget it), angry with her for not consulting me more...

But she's so independent and didn't want anybody to hold her hand or to have people tell her how to feel or how to act or what to watch for...it's perfect, even with all those things.

The strings are cut, at least in some ways. I hope to follow her progress on her blog about it on MySpace. She should be in Paris by now after having arrived safely in London (yes, I checked).

Getting out of your environment and into another is a critical, life-enriching experience that no one who has never done it will ever know. And I'm not talking about trips to Disneyland or the Mexican Riviera.

OK, Dad. Butt out.

A massive family get-together

OK, so I love to blog about my family.

And on Saturday, the whole clan got together, except for my brother Doug and his family in Ottawa.

As usual, I took plenty of pictures. Some are here. Some, including most of the rest of my family, are not.

That's because they don't want to have their pix on my blog, as much as I'd like to include them.

So here is what I can include, beginning with my brother Gerry's pic of who he believes the true guy inhabiting Spaceship Orion is.

And here's the real me. Please, no comments about which is more handsome or accurate.
A major incident of the day was when my brother Gerry was bowled over by exhuberant nephews Cole and Justin, and the result. Somehow, it was poetic justice.

I'll come back to that, but the theme of the party was to celebrate Mother's Day, and about 32 birthdays among the grandparents, parents, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts and whomever else.

I spent $36 on cards alone, for which I was soundly chastised by several sisters and sisters-in-law, the cheapies. Here's a collection of most of those cards.

This is Monica, who's leaving Wednesday for Europe on a 2 1/2-month trip I know little about.

This is Joshua, my brother Gerry's son, looking mischievous.

This is my oldest sister Lori's tattoo that she got for her 50th birthday.

The W.G.F. stands for With Georgie Forever, a reference to our grandmother on my mom's side, Georgie, who lived with us for a good time before she died.

I'm pretty sure I got my sister Lori's permission to use this pic of her face. If I didn't, I'm sure she'll scream at me.

Back to Gerry, who decided we should simultaneously take pix of each other taking pix...

He's such an arse...

Like I said, he's such an arse...

His hair is greyer than mine is. He insists he has more of it, though.

And now back to his ankle injury, which he believes is a "bad sprain."

You can tell he's a bit ornery...

But whatever. What is, just is.

Slogging through Spring

UGH.

I missed the summer-like temperatures here last weekend when I was out of town in neighbouring Saskatchewan, where it was cool and blustery.


But I heard stories about young women out in bikini tops sun-bathing (from a young guy I was working with out of town, don't get your pantyhose tied up in knots!), I heard about hints of summer.


So now that I'm back, there's a winter storm watch advisory out there, and they say we're going to get 10-20 cms of snow starting late tonight.


Temps are expected to be 10C degrees below normal for the next few days.


As I listen to Mark Knopfler's latest CD, which I got mailed to me for buying tickets to his concert here this summer (it's very mellow, but nice), I've got to say I haven't felt, really, like spring's arrived yet.


And that's left me with a pout.



It's gotten considerably warmer, virtually all the snow has melted, but there's been a strong, unco-operative, cool wind that's seemed to have negated the effects of the blue skies, warming temps and sunshine.

Sigh.

It's made me feel so up in the air, kind of out of kilter, sort of numb to what should be the most pleasant time of the year...kind of like this deer...



This deer, apparently, had the misfortune of being hit by a fast-moving train in Manitoba and ended up on the top of a hydro power line. What a way to go. Death's Double Whammy, so to speak.



So about all I can do is eye my shorts hanging there in the corner of my bedroom, think about my sandals sitting in the closet, covet the slopitch season starting up, contemplate feeling warm and cozy...


...And exist.

I was going to post about Hillary beating Obama in Penn State and how I don't care...


...Because she lost my respect when in desperation she hit him below the belt for his comments that the U.S. working class is bitter, which is true.

I was going to post about Canada's aboriginals predictably announcing they're going to use the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as a world-wide stage to air their grievances, but I don't care...


...Because they just want more money.

I was going to post about how proud I am of my son for his sensitive handling of his latest breakup with his latest girlfriend.


I was going to post about how my daughter's long trip to Europe is coming up in only a few days and how I'll miss her...

But instead, I'm just going to listen to Mark. And wait for it to warm up so I can thaw from a long, cold winter.

While Dad's away, the Dunderhead will play...

SO WHILE I'M OUT OF TOWN COVERING HOCKEY FOR FOUR DAYS...

...DRIVING SEVEN HOURS TO OUR NEIGHBOURING PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN AND DOCUMENTING THAT DRIVE THUSLY...

(This town in western Manitoba is where writer Margaret Laurence grew up...)

Did you know Kandahar is actually in Saskatchewan, not in Afghanistan, where our Canadian troops are dropping like flies trying to keep the peace and track down Osama Bin Laden?

It's all a Canada-U.S. political ruse, I say...

Yeah, while I was out of town doing my job, my son, who has a key to my apartment, was entering same apartment -- which is very close to his school -- and creating a disaster of epic proportions.

Upon my return Sunday, all the tell-tale signs were there:

--Toilet paper not replaced on the dispenser.

--Five or six Bounce dryer sheets used and left on the floor all over or on the dryer, no doubt to repel the cling and lint for the one shirt he might have washed for some hot date with his girlfriend.

--His hair gel, left next to the bathroom sink, opened.

--The toothpaste, left uncapped so it can dry out.

--The mouthwash, its cap left off.

--Spit-out toothpaste stains in the sink.

--And, of course, a total mess in the kitchen. Dirty dishes put in a dishwasher full of clean dishes.

Whatever, left all over the place.

Another sink full of dirty dishes, an open bag of what used to be fresh bread, now dry. My bike is nowhere to be seen. He must be riding it. The usual crumbs are all over the living room.

Ahh, to be home again.