A Trip Or Vacation Back Home

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

I am visiting Victoria in the late nineties. It is the first really good visit in ten years. I spent 2000.00 dollars on a car rental, hotel and other odds and sods. I stayed at the James Bay Inn for a couple of days and I flew back to Edmonton on Air Canada.

But I visited mom and dad. I saw Maureen and her 2 kids. I bought them all a nice present: rings and an Alanon book. I think I saw Deb. I didn’t see her kids. My sister Sue was over in Vancouver. It is an whirlwind trip.

Here I am at home in two weeks from the time I left. It is the best way to visit friends and relatives.

It is worth every penny.

What things give you energy?

An inspirational book, movie, or song.

A person, place or thing.

A good workout, meal, and sleep.

A good life,

A good lifestyle,

A good way to be,

Calm, Still, Silent: Do no harm!

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

I actually use all the above words all the time.

It is not impulsive. It is a practice.

I can stop any time.

Why bother?

MusicSaves The Soul: Jazz

What is your favorite genre of music?

Who can I mention: Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong .

I remember listening to many of Louis Armstrong popular songs that my parents played in the sixties.

I was grateful for Jazz at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Alberta. Often, I would go with friends in the eighties.

I have many recording and love going to hear my favourites at the Jazz Festival in Victoria,B.C.

Please check out some below.

Popular Music

Today

How do you waste the most time every day?

Awake with the sun.

Morning routine with “strengthside”, a 20 minute YouTube vid. And another 10 minute one for beginners about stretching.

Either work or on my day off, writing, guitar, photography,hiking, other hobbies, chores like today (laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, and 2 hours of work).

I usually watch an hour or two of programming from various entertainment outlets.

I have an evening routine of winding down an hour before bed, take a shower and prep for work tomorrow.

Personal time 3 hours + chore time 3 hours+ work and travel time 3 hours+ 8 hours sleep + 2 hours exercise + 2 hours meals + 1 hour meditation + 1 hour mental exercise on elevation app. + 1 hour on miscellaneous (hurry,worry,negative self talk, socialization, vegging and procrastination, and much more emotional, mental, beliefs and behavioural stuff)=24 hours.

I continue to learn and practice doing no harm and doing my best.

I can only blame myself for wasting time.

Epictetus

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Understated philosopher, whose teacher was Musonius Rufus.

To me, this helps me practise what I need by looking at the source. The progenitor of a teacher student relationship in the practice of the proper use of impressions.

To do no harm and do my best.

https://brewminate.com/musonius-rufus-stoic-teacher-of-epictetus/

Awaken my mind through meditation in the form of this practice.

To learn to be present through the movement of mind, heart and body practice.

The awakening element is inner peace practice: letting go of the sensations of body, mind, and heart.

Enjoyment! Inner Peace, Being present, being calm, still and silent…. Awake.

U.S.A. Visitor

What countries do you want to visit?

I have a better understanding of the above country than even my own.

At least I think the Americans influence me greater than most countries.

I mostly appreciate having a big scary country next door.

Mostly a big brother figure that forces me to examine the complexity of Canada.

I want to visit near by states like Seattle and Hawaii.

There seems to be too much to learn.

I consume a lot of their literature and culture.

I need to process more about both my own and theirs.

The Old Guitar

What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?

My Yamaha C40

I usually fool around with it for 5 or ten minutes a day.

I bought it new in 2013, that makes it about ten years old.

Not much else around here I use that much, I moved back in 2004 and basically started over.

And my interpretation of daily use is key.

Because I do use my guitar each day but I have many thing ten years and older I use once in a while based on need or want.

I pulled out my SIN card the other day, it must be at least 40 years old.

Morning Routine

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

It is nice to start the day and break it up with a healthy life span routine.

I simply weigh in each morning after stopping in to do my bathroom routine.

Then I make my bed and have a cup of tea while doing a follow along stretch routine that prepares me to work or play each day.

I get dressed and usually have breakfast.

Then I do chores, work and do my daily routine, but that is for another time.

I basically do my best and do no harm this way each day of the year.

The simpler the better.

My First Job

What jobs have you had?

Everyone deserves a helping hand, my dad taught me to mow the lawn. And as I learned, got me a job doing, Mr. Saltings lawn (my dad was obviously still teaching me).

I don’t know if I ever had a first job, because my dad was my teacher, body guard and friend up past my teens.

Every job or activity that helped me create job skills, he was right there beside me.

My dad was an electrician. So of course my first job mistake was Getty in trouble when no one was watching….

I put one of my mom’s bobby pins in an electrical outlet.

Not one of my best moves, but I was only four, my mom was very upset with me and grateful I was okay. No injury, very lucky.

My dad hired me on as his apprentice for a couple of my teen age years.

At school my dad helped me by rebuilding the lighting board and we won best play provincially in part due to him. He was so proud of my technical award and high grades.

My parents helped me find work during the recession in the seventies.

My mom’s boss got me a job as an assistant camp manager, He made sure an irksome new boss paid me.

And this is how my work life began.

I mostly had service work through out my life.

At present, I pay my bills by working as a middle manager.

And the first job I had was doing the same.

So, this may be my last paying job. But it has kept a roof over my head and food in my stomach.

I try to pay it forward, but I have been so fortunate to have good people guide and support me over the decades.

Good luck with your work, opus, career!