Wow...time flies when you're having fun!!

So it's 5:05...I'm sitting in the office and finishing up my paper work. I'm a bit perplexed as to why I haven't spent more time telling people how my life has been unfolding, that was after all the point of the blog. But I don't miss it...in fact I have been loving it.

 The house sold on May 29th,2011. I had a hundred blogs written in my mind about how maniacal the process was. Bryon Howard was a great realtor and I highly recommend his services for anyone who wishes to use a realtor. In the same breath...if I do it again....I'll try to pinch some of my own dollars (I'm a cheapo and this hurt!!), for better or for worse, and list it myself before I use someone as good as Bryon. For hassle free though...worth every penny.

 I did spend 48hrs cleaning and 120hrs in denial that I was on track to get everything done. You have got to thank the mom's and dad's of the world though. They scooped in last minute, my dad kept the crew talking and keeping their minds off the work...and did a little work himself ;) and my mom was an animal who tore apart my cupboards, cleaned my fridge and really added the polishing touch to the entire process. My brother, Lips, the youngster, muscles, Mr Wooster, Neighbour J and Miss Minki were all a part of helping this sad sack of a planner/cleaner get the job done.

 We were ready at 11:59 and drove out of the driveway (after realizing that I missed tightening a radiator clamp on the beast and pouring rad fluid all over my freshly power washed driveway) with the van, the scooter and all my gear in tow. Lots of it went into storage and already I am wondering what I even put in there...it is pretty full...I just don't know what, with the exception of a few personal items I think it's all just junk and shit. I think that is how most of us live, cramming every nook and corner, using garages for storage of crap instead of 20k cars and if most people step back they have about 75% baggage that they don't even realize clutters their life. Just a thought though...no scientific data to back that up!

 I've been at my folks since then...talk about strange and fabulous. I've never slept so much (a symptom of having no bills and no stress). I eat well, I enjoy their company in a way that I would have never dreamed of when I was a kid and I couldn't thank them enough for giving me the support and encouragement to head off into the yonder.

 I spent a weekend at the house I will be sitting and fell in love with it. The lifestyle and the concept of the lifstyle hit me even heavier than before. When I first saw the picture of the house I was sold...then when I arrived I was smitten and bitten by the rural bug. Everyone has used their own cedar on the property to build their houses. Hand crafted goodness. Certainly not up to city standard in coding but really...fuck all that noise. City standard says "Spend loads and loads of money to conform to a bullshit plan that allows builders to minimize their expenses by following a code to the minimum standard." No one ever built a low cost house saying "that's not good enough" instead they say  "That's Good Enough!" Sign off and leave it alone. Out there people say...if it breaks I'll fix it. I didn't hear any stories of houses falling down, burning down or being generally unsafe...people are pretty dumb sometimes but they aren't stupid enough to build a shit shack around them that won't last, won't provide shelter and won't provide happiness. At least most people anyway.

Hey...they are everywhere. How nice is it to have a garden everwhere you turn and not in some concrete flower box or in the middle of some sicko's manufactured paradise (aka a lawn)

The real man of the house....I'm going to call him Chuck

A little less "OFF"...a little more spidey!!

 I submitted my resignation and that was tough but not really all that tough. After submitting it I had asked one of the head cheeses to come let me know they got the letter...I found them in the hallway...a week later and asked if they did... and got "oh yeah...that's disappointing" no meeting, no nothing no discussion. To be honest that hurt a little, not unexpected based on my observations but after 9 yrs I really did expect more. So I feel am making the right move because I need/want to feel like I'm engaged in a process of moving forward and if that is how an exit is handled I really don't want to convince myself that the it would be different on any other level.

 Not bitter though, just confirming.

 The students at the college have had varied reactions but I have been receiving many compliments, sad faces and "No don't go". One student touched my heart in a special way by saying that Bow Valley College would lose its meaning when I went. This won't be true, it's a huge place with bigger places to go and dreams to fulfill. In short time I will be a speck on the landscape but it's nice to know and to be told that while I was here I made an impact and an impression.

 At graduation a lady spoke, I'm horrible with names and I could find it (just this minute) but what she said was more important. "When you move forward people won't remember you for the things you did but they will remember you for how you made them feel." I think I have embodied that in the last few years at the college. Not my first few...I was rebellious and resistant to direction from people that i didn't trust had my best interest at heart. I still am rebellious but less caring for the judgment I laid on people and hence they laid back on me. Now I realize some things that I didn't before and don't mind watching and letting people do what they want without providing them so much resistance. My track record on righting wrongs is pretty good though even if it comes at the end or after I go  ;)

 Graduation was very meaningful this year as it is every year but I saw some special people that I had been working with for a few years cross the stage as they entered into, with credentials, a new phase in their life. I can't be posting pictures without peoples permission so you'll just have to trust me that the men and ladies of the day looked like they were ready for the opportunities that awaited them.


 I do have some upcoming blogs planned though about the system...the failures and the difficulties. It's safe to say already that when I get some time I will be exposing what I find faulty and railing on against the things I find ridiculous and the people behind them...without, or at least attempting to do it without burning down the forest behind me.

 The property...how good does it get? It gets good...it's gets to be about forests of cedar, natural flowers, a huge garden, a great dog to keep me company (Sorry Mondo...love you buddy and I'll be back for you), cool neighbours and a way way way different lifestyle.

Meow!

 So it's count down time...July 13th is the end of BVC for me. I'm quite happy at this point that I was told no year off...it has expanded the entire concept and I feel quite liberated.

 One thing that is interesting...sorry, long blog and a little rambling....is that I am seeing more students and having an awesome time being busier, more honest and more engaged in them...not in BVC but in that student who is in front of me and giving them the best experience. A counsellor here said it was called "homing revs" in the Navy...it's when you have been at sea for a long time and even though the travel home is supposed to be done at a regulated speed (just like the rest of your journey) when you visit the engine room you always find that it's going a few more RPM's than requested, the desk is a little cleaner, the shave is sharper and the work is happening now with a little pep to the step. A friend was telling me about this book (lick balls amazon I'm just using you for the link...if you want the book find a better way to buy it) and..it is on my must read agenda.

 When a previous advisor on our team, Nico, passed away, we recorded a video for her family and in it I said something along the lines of "She taught me that a bad day for me could be that students worst day ever and that you had to be on everyday no matter what." I think that when I recorded that I was trying to connect myself to a way of thinking that she carried with her and like a positive affirmation it really did become the truth for me. Sure I took some liberties when I wasn't in the game...that is what I am referring to. If I wasn't going to be 100% why would I give a student 50% when it was robbing them of something so important like their future. I couldn't thank the two people who really gave me the base to be a great advisor (self promotion!!) Theode and Tim. They were really crucial to developing my skills and my outlook in this position. Without people like them I may have just railed against everything endlessly in the data slave position I was in earlier. I have done my best to live up to their expectations and tried to give students that same feeling, that same fire and that same overall outlook. Hopefully I left them with the feeling that they needed to be successful. Hopefully I helped change some attitudes, open some doors and form some opinions that will change the future for them and the rest of us. As I say to some New Canadians..."We have a Canada to build"...and that is exactly what we are trying to do. Build them in order to build everything else.....but stay tuned for my honest and cut throat posts on what we are doing, where the soft parts are and my opinions on it all...because whoa nelly do I have some opinions.

 To my friends the Hecks (there blog is wayyy better so have a good read and enjoy)...you rock kids. Onto another adventure after already having more adventure than most people will ever have in their lifetime and even though you weren’t my inspiration...you broke ice where I needed it to be broken mentally and as I roll through the landscape I will think of you often knowing that it took courage to set a course for the unknown. No one get’s where they are going without a little guidance period...not rich, not poor, not schooled and not inventive. It’s all based on something taken from someone else, some wisdom, some experience, some mentorship...and if you see it and run with it you can achieve great things. But it’s the classic statement Knowledge isn’t power...Knowledge + action is power...only then do you change and only when you change can you change things.


 Is that all?...god I hope so! My fingers are sore! Next time I won’t wait so long and make you read my blathering for too long...I know the attention span of most, I just had to get myself to a catch up point of now.

 There will be a post soon about all the businesses and people that have helped get me ready for this thing. From mechanics to dentists I want to just thank some local businesses who were really great and really do deserve some credit.

 June 28....tick tock tick tock.....let's get ready to rock