Plugged Back In

What a great week off! It seems odd to me that, in my year off, I have only taken four weeks off. My favorite week off was the one I spent with my son on the west coast. I forget that although I have experienced many things, my kids haven't. It was even better to watch him experience things for the first time than for me to experience things for the first time. I could really enjoy his reaction and wonder.

My next best week this year was the trip with Murray to the Reno air races. There are not many people that would enjoy driving 5000 km in a week, but he and I did just fine. Attending the Reno air races was the second last thing on my bucket list, and it was great to share it with the man who was so influential in molding my working life. We spent many hours doing road math, with just enough time on the internet at night to verify our formulas and such.

The last thing on my bucket list was to try surfing. This week was a lot more work, but it was rewarding as well. I really appreciate the people who gave me good advice and the mothers who watched my stuff and took pictures for me! I should have done that trip about ten years ago!

Last week I unplugged and had a stay-cation. I needed a break from the neverending stream of emails and requests for my services. I needed to recharge, re-evaluate and reflect. Too many days have been spent sitting in my room in the basement pounding away on a keyboard, conference calling online and uploading photos. Being so connected was slowly causing me to disconnect.

I started the week by hosting my first dinner party. (Not exactly as shown above.) I made a complete turkey dinner including homemade buns! Ok, I had a little help, but it was mostly me. I have learned that I like to cook--which is handy because I love to eat! The best part is that I ate turkey leftovers for most of the rest of the week, made a big pot of turkey soup, and still put 6 turkey platter dinners in the deep freeze for later, if my son doesn't find them and eat them for late night snacks.

I took apart my big aquarium and rebuilt it with new everything: rocks, shells and fish. I am sure Big Al's and Pisces were really happy about this! I sexed all the guppy babies that have been born lately and split them up into different tanks, and I did it all without breaking anything or flushing any fish down the drain, I think.

I had more face to face contact with other people than I have had in a long time. I met new friends and re-connected with old friends. With the help of Carole and Wilma, we put on a presentation about my last trip to Haiti and auctioned off some great art work. Thanks to all who bid and donated. There will be 10 more people in Haiti drier and happier because of you, not to mention about a dozen artisans who are better able to look after their families.

I had some great times with my kids and grandkids. At one point there were 5 stinky boys in the house and only 2 girls. I mostly cooked and did dishes. It was great. I didn't cook all the time. I did get out to eat a few times. I had lunch with an old friend at a new-to-me Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Y2K. Y2K? Where does that come from? Anyway, they serve a great simple lunch.

The week was not all good. I don't intend to discard my connected lifestyle. I became aware of all the people who I am only connected to by ether. I missed them. I have friends all over the world. Many started as work collaborators but have evolved into more. I guess I just took it for granted that I knew what the weather was like in northern India or how much rain Bolivia had this week. Knowing what the roads are like in Ontario became just as much a part of my life as what the roads are like in Alberta. I like to know what crop is coming off the fields in Kenya, or isn't coming off for that matter.

Here is the point. People matter. All people matter. At the end of the day family and friends are all I have that really matters. The stuff is great, but only if it is making it easier to connect with family and friends. I love the convenience of having my car so I can go and see the grandkids when I want, but as long as the car gets me there, it does not matter to me what it looks like. Being plugged in has given me the ability to have more people in my life, but being too plugged in can get in the way of the connections I have in front of my face. Life is about balance and the trick is find the balance that works best for you.

I am back to Haiti on the 29th, and I will be plugged in but not as plugged in as last time. I will blog while I am gone, but not every day. There are huge jobs to do down there, and they deserve my 100% attention. Thanks to all that have helped so far. If you aren't sure if you need to get involved, look up tonight as you lay in bed. If there is anything other than a bed sheet or a tarp over your head, you need to get involved!