Summer

A new addition to the family is always something to brag about. The surprise came to me via a phone call from my son in law, telling me I had just become a grandpa for the 2nd time. A surprise it was, because this kid wasn't expected until near the end of October.

With it being a Friday, we were all expecting to be out at the cottage together for the Thanksgiving weekend. This little one's arrival blew those plans to smitherines, but none of us really minded.

As it was, another healthy female kid was added to our clan on October 7, 2011 at 6lbs 15oz. Welcome to our whacky world, Summer Erica Spaeth.

Enjoy It

Back in March, I wrote about our long cold winter that just wouldn't let up. As we are now into the 1st week of August, we are still having an excellent summer, with little rain and hot, hot temperatures.

As proof of how short memories are, a few Winnipegers are complaining about the relentless heat waves of 30 to 45 degrees celsius we've been enduring. Think back people to when spring should have arrived and it didn't. Everyone complained then.

With sunny, warm weather and a surprising lack of pesky mosquitoes, I've had myself an excellent summer and hopefully, there's more to come. We have only a month and a half of summer left before fall arrives, and winter gets ready to start gripping Winnipeg in it's frigid fingers for another 6 months.

A Lesson Learned

A dear friend I haven't seen in 17 years, but have known since we were kids, wished me a speedy recovery from the stroke I suffered two months ago. She went on to offer encouragement, saying that I was strong and would overcome this set back. I was supposed to look after my health better than I had been doing.

I suggested we get together for tea or coffee, once I recovered enough, so we could catch up on all the stuff that's happened since we last saw each other. I had been meaning to call her to set a date, but kept putting it off until "tomorrow".

On Saturday June 18, I received a message from her son. His mother, Susan, had passed away early that morning. She suffered a mild stroke, just like mine, and then, while at the hospital, she had another stroke. Susan never recovered, and according to her wishes was taken off life support and died.

Her funeral was today, and I was there.

That Happened To Me

Two months ago I suffered a stroke. Up until then, aside from being a bit overweight, out of shape, and a moderate smoker, I considered myself fairly healthy for a man my age.

My family has always been on my case to see a doctor for a checkup and to stop smoking. My argument was why should I waste valuable health resources when I feel good and I'm not sick. I was invincible. Then boom! Out of the blue I was felled.

Tests done at the hospital revealed, along with being overweight, I also had high blood pressure and diabetes. Being a smoker and not in the best of physical shape made me a prime candidate for stroke or heart attack. All stuff that could have been dealt with a few years ago had I gone for an annual checkup.

As it turned out, the stroke was of the mild type, causing only minor right side paralysis which began to clear up within a week. It could have been much, much worse. I am now fully recovered and following my doctors advice. My second grandchild is on the way and I want to be around to meet her.

The Brash Bunnies

When the words Burlesque Show are heard in today's age, one (me) usually thinks of a strip show with a group of young hotties taking off their costumes on stage, and ending up on the floor showing off their goods to the world.

On Friday night I was treated to a true Burlesque show which offered pure, wholesome adult entertainment, less all that sleazy stuff. Themed on the story of Alice In Wonderland, its title was "MisAdventures In Wonderland" and some references to the story were made throughout the show.

With a line up of talented performers in full costume, The Brash Bunnies, belly dancer Safire, Miss La Muse, and performances by Drag Inc, the show offered plenty of "adult only" Burlesque style dancing and singing.  Brash Bunny, Jenna Tail did a fantastic job as MC. Aside from coaxing audience members to come forward to participate in some of the adult style shenannigans that were about to happen up on the stage, she as well, kept the audience engaged in some hilarious x-rated conversations. A display of body painting, and an amusing lady advertising her dildos on stage, were an added bonus to the evening.

This show was a step into the world of Burlesque which I thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't a show of skin and female goods (well...a little maybe), it was entertaining striptease, joking, and just having fun, leaving much to the imagination.

Is The End Near

Winter just doesn't want to release it's icy grip on us this year. Some winter activities are enjoyable, but there are a number of things you can't do when you perish from cold every time you step outdoors. When the cold temperatures hang in there, it makes it miserable for anyone living in this type of climate.

For the 1st week of March, we in the Peg should be experiencing the onset of spring like weather, but with evening temperatures hovering around -30C, spring seems so far away. It is depressing when compared to other years.

This has been a long, extremely cold winter with no end in sight yet. Mountains of snow haven't even started to thaw and there is more snow in the forecast. Will it end with a sudden warming trend and cause the greatest flood Manitoba has seen in 700 years? One thing is for sure, by the 1st day of summer that question will have been answered.