Wordless Wednesday

A Trip on the Scarborough RT Route in Toronto...

YouTube Tuesday - Heat Wave Edition

With the heat wave going through here are my thoughts...

Monday Listicles

 

 Thanks to Stasha for hosting Listicles.. This week it is a set of questions:

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, and find line 4. What is it?

Dogs at Play -  from - Go Dog Go - had to cheat a little since there is no line 4 in it.  I have three kids - most of the books surrounding me at the moment are of the Dr. Seuss variety.

or 

if it is my book

Which do you prefer?

2. How many times a day do you say Hi?

It is actually depends if it is teaching day or not. If it is a teaching day, I can get up to 100.  If not, probably like 40.  In Charleston it is considered proper to say hello to everyone you meet.  If you do not, you can be considered quite rude.

3. Have you ever worn a uniform?

Wore one throughout high school and with my first job working for Parks and Recreation.  I swear I will never wear one again.  I despised the experience and the whole conforming attitude they represent.

4. What do you think about the most?

Humanity and human behavior.  I would love to one day understand why people act as they do but it is a fruitless endeavor.  We are unpredictable creatures but it is fun trying.

5. How many keys are on your keyring?

14 - home, work, car.

6. What was the last thing you bought?

A McDonalds Happy Meal for my son.

7. Are you growing anything these days?

I have roses in my Garden in Charleston but they are probably more dead than alive since I have been in Canada for three weeks.

8. What is under your bed?

Same as everyone else, the Boogeyman!

9. What is most important in life?

The technical answer is water - without it life can not exist as we know it.

The non-technical answer is love - life wouldn't be worth living without it.

10. What is the strangest word you used this week?

I used 'juxtaposition' several times this week.  It has been a week of paradoxes.

Monday Quiz About Me

1. What is your favorite thing to BBQ?

Steak

2. What is your favorite thing to do on a holiday long weekend in the summer?

Read

3. Who was the last person you ate out with? Where did you go? What was the occasion?

Heather. Goof. Date.

4. Do you recycle?

Yes.

Now my question for you?

5. What is your favorite one word answer?

Sundays in My City

Thanks to the Unknown Mami for hosting Sundays in My City.  This week I went to Baltimore for a conference.  Here are some of the pictures I took...

Six Word Saturday & He Said/ She Said

Happy Birthday Canada! Happy Birthday USA!

This upcoming week is very special.  July 1st is Canada Day.  The birthday of my birth country and the place where I grew up.  Canada holds a special place in my heart.  Though I live in the United States, just about anyone who knows me will tell you that I am Canadian through and through.  That does not mean I have any less respect and admiration for my current country of residence.  Though very different than Canada, I have the utmost respect for the American culture and way of life.  America is a country of opportunity and freedom - how can one not feel that is to be admired.  July 4th also holds a special place in my heart as well.  

So to both my birth land and my adopted land - Happy Birthday.  

A special toast - 

May we be good neighbo(u)rs and supportive friends who demonstrate to the world that freedom and the belief in the human spirit can bring out the best in both nations.

He Said/ She Said

This week Heather and I got to have a date evening when she picked me up from the Buffalo Airport.  With living so far from our parents combined with having three children (one of whom is special needs) and being a single income family - we do not get to go out for date nights very often.

When we are in Charleston, we will do a date lunch ever so often.  It is a chance for us to get together and chat even if it is not the most romantic situation in the world.

Every quarter, we usually have an out of town guest (either Heather's or my parents).  The price for staying in our guest room is one night of baby sitting.  That is when we get our date nights.  It was really cool in February when we got to have an 'over-night' date courtesy of Heather's parents and Wild Dunes Resort.

These alone moments have been critical to keeping our marriage alive through 14 years.  While we love being parents sometimes; we need to be a couple sometimes too.  This time allows us to connect at a different level than normal and allows us to reaffirm to one another our love and devotion to each other.    It is necessary for us to feel like we have a world to share with one another and it not always be about the kids.   This time allows us the breather to enhance our relationship which in turn creates a happier and harmonious household that allows us to raise our children in a good, healthy environment.  

So to both sets of parents who are willing to babysit, we say thank you to more than you know.

To read Heather's version click here.

Friday Fun while Filling In Fragments

Thanks to Hillary @ Feeling Beachie and the Fantastic Mrs. 4444's @ HalfPastKissinTime for hosting the hops.

First the Fragments:

• What a week!  It started last Sunday with a trip to Baltimore for a series of three conferences related to hotel sales and marketing.  It was a great week!
• On a related note:  I wrote a review of Baltimore that you can read here.  It is a interesting city with a lot of personality.  Come back Sunday to see even more great photos.

• On a related related note:  I saw this family of ducks during my walk of the inner harbor area.

• In terms of the conference trends, prices for hotels are becoming more like the airlines in that they are not keeping pace with inflation.  Heavy competition combined with consumer price sensitivity are keeping prices down.  
• On a related note:   Best night to have a hotel night vacation Sunday & Monday.  Generally you will get the cheapest rates those two nights.
•  The best part of the conference was getting to know one of my colleagues better.   We both have large families while trying to balance an academic lifestyle. 
• On a related note: Is it not funny that we often have to leave town to get to know people better.  That is the real power of travel.
• There is a new website/ App called Hotel Tonight.  It seems to be making a big splash in the industry and has a buzz about it.  It is just for 'day-of' booking and I have been watching it over the last week. It is producing some amazing deals.
• On a related note:  The issue of rate parity is very hot right now.  Rate parity is when the hotel has to offer the same rate on sites as Expedia and Travelocity that they do on their own.  The hotels do not like this as they are typically paying a minimum 15% commission to the online travel agencies.  Here is a travel hint: If you find a great deal online, call the hotel directly and they should rate match.  Plus you will get your points etc. from the hotel chain and other benefits that usually do not come with booking with an online travel agency.
• Upon returning, Heather and I had a great date night in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario.  The town is a great example of a place that has worked hard to keep its historical integrity.
• On a related note:  Sometimes I really enjoy being a couple again. We had some great couples fun on our drive back to Toronto from Buffalo.

Now some Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun:

1. The Big Bang Theory makes me laugh...

2. Sometimes reflection makes me sad.  See my post on Tuesday as evidence.

3. My bank account looks sad after paying bills.

4. When I hear about my former students success I feel very happy for them.  I got to see two of my former students in Baltimore this week.  It was great to hear how successful and happy they are.  BTW - if you ever get to Baltimore, try Sullivan's...