Finding Time To Do It All

Remembering Mike Cantey

It's been a really tough week for me.  I get all wishy-washy this time of year for a lot of reasons, and this year is no different.  Unfortunately, my usual funk was thrown into a serious twist when one of the best people I've ever met, Mike Cantey, was taken from us.

Mike was the kind of guy who always had something funny to say.  He loved a great cup of coffee and good music.  One of his favourite past-times was playing video games. 

I met Mike in the early '90s when he was a reserve officer and I was on patrol.  He was riding with a K-9 officer who worked the same zone as me, and we ended up on several calls together one night.  I immediately liked Mike - he was cute, funny, intelligent...what's not to like?  Over the next few years I got to know him just by bumping into him on occasion and hanging out on calls and stuff.

Several years passed and I got married, got pregnant, and ended up in childbirthing class.  My husband and I walked into the first class and there sat Mike and his wonderful wife, Mary (turns out Mary and I went to high school together - what a small world!).  We spent the next several weeks hanging out in class and before you know it we both had boys, less than a month apart.

We hung out a lot those first couple of years.  Mary and I got to know each other pretty well, and the boys, A and E, played quite well together.  It was great.

But as things go, we drifted apart a little, mostly due to living on opposite ends of the county and having a little different interests.  I eventually had a second child, P, and ultimately went back to work, which limited my "hanging out" time.  Mary and I lost touch, but I often wondered what the Canteys were up to.

Enter Facebook.  I stumbled across both Mike and Mary within the last several months, only to hear that Mike was battling brain cancer.  In true form, Mike was keeping a sense of humour about it all and doing all he could to enjoy his next cup of coffee.  Mike was unique in that he could make anything seem funny, no matter how awful the subject.

I wasn't able to make time to go and visit Mike, and for that I am truly sad.  However, I was able to keep in touch with him and Mary through Facebook - and they were both great about updating their friends about their situation on a regular basis.  We knew what was going on and could send notes of encouragement or even just "like" a post one of them put up about their lives.

Sadly, Mike's condition took a complete turn on December 11, and he suffered a massive stroke.  He died, peacefully, on Monday, December 12.  He and Mary were married for 15 years, and their son, A, is only nine years old.

I buried a friend today - the first real friend I've had to bury in about 20 years.  Although it saddens me terribly, I am happy to know that he is no longer suffering and no longer battling for his life.  As much as we'll all miss him, Mike is truly in a better place (and I'm not even talking religion here).

The world was a better place with you in it, Mike.  We'll all miss you, brother!

 

Embracing the Unorthodox

I am a pretty "different" person.  I have lots of different ideas about so-called "normal" things.  Here is a quick example:

• God, whether S/He exists or not, is a man-made concept.
• Either all religions are completely wrong, or they're all just a little bit correct.
• Just because everyone says so, doesn't make it true.
• History and reality are based on perception.
• If you don't think for yourself most of the time, you're a complete moron.
• You don't have to do pushups/situps/running/weight training to exercise.

Now, I'm not going to get into a philosophical religious discussion with you here - mostly because I don't really care about your religious beliefs (I respect them, but it's such a personal thing that I just don't care what anyone else thinks, any more than I expect them to care what I think).  Don't take it personally.

The one thing I really want to discuss today is the exercise thing.  Although I often do "regular" exercises to stay fit, I also do a whole lot of things that aren't considered mainstream.  Instead of lifting weights, I might move a chair a few feet to vacuum (you have to move it, then move it back).  I've been known to vacuum the same spot twice.  If you have an indoor pet, just vacuuming is a decent cardio workout (because we all know what a bitch it is to get all the black dog hair sucked up off your beige carpet, right?) - that's why you sweat when you're doing it.  Playing with your kids on the swing set?  Oh yeah, that's the best exercise there is - and it's FUN, admit it!

Just the other day Lil P had me hanging upside-down from the bars on our swingset.  Yes, hanging by my knees, no less.  This, in and of itself, is not a great workout.  But, to get into that position, I had to lift my entire body weight using my shoulders and my core (that's stomach and back, folks).  I had to rotate that weight into a position to get my legs over the bar.  After hanging there, I had to use my core to come back up and hold onto the rings to get off again, and then I flipped, so I was stretching out my shoulder joints (and it felt great!).

Now, is that the equivalent of an hour-long workout?  Hardly.  But if you play like that for 30 minutes a day, I think you're doing OK - as long as you're not eating yourself into oblivion.  You don't have to sweat a lot, or have big muscles to show off, or do the boring stuff that all those fitness freaks do.  Just play.  If your children are small enough, pick them up a few times.  They love being up high, and their weight works just like a dumbbell.  Hell, if you've ever carried a baby around for awhile, you know your biceps hate you for it the next day (even if you're resting them on your hip - or if you're like me, you don't have hips, so you have to pretty much hold them anyway).

I'm not saying that gyms and free weights and pushups and situps aren't a good way to work out (I do all kinds of "normal" exercises too).  I'm just saying that you don't have to buy into the drudgery to stay fit - or even start a fitness routine.

How do you do it?  Do you belong to a gym?  Do you have a home gym?  Or do you just play with your kids to stay fit?  Sound off in the comments!

Today's Poem

Believe it or not, occasionally I'm struck with the need to write.  Today is one of those days.  Unfortunately, I'm at work, so writing like I want to is a bit difficult.  But, I managed to whip up this little ditty in a few minutes.  It was inspired by the fact that I left my iPod in my husband's vehicle ("Oh shit, I left my iPod in the van!").  I've cleaned it up a bit, because it was pretty raunchy before.  I mean, bad enough I didn't want to post it.

And, don't get any ideas; I haven't done anything I shouldn't have.  It's fiction!  Without further ado...

Oh dear
I left my shit in your car.
I'd come meet you
But I don't know who you are.
Friday night
Was great at the bar
Oh dear
I left my shit in your car.

Oh my
I can't find my portable.
It's probably
In your fancy convertible
That night
It isn't revertible...
Oh my
I can't find my portable.

Oh where
Oh where is my lipstick?
I drank way
Too much and then got sick.
Yeah
I really am a dipstick.
Oh where
Oh where is my lipstick?

Oh crap
I seem to have lost my stash!
I think it's in
The tray of your dash.
Too bad,
That was some really good hash.
Oh crap
I seem to have lost my stash!

Oh dear
I left my shit in your car.
I'd come meet you
But I don't know who you are.
Friday night
Was great at the bar
Oh dear
I left my shit in your car.

OK, yeah, it sucks rocks.  But I got a good chuckle when I wrote it.  And as for what I removed, one line rhymed with "lipstick".   And, it was big. :-)

Have a happy Monday!

I Love My Husband!

I don't know if he ever reads my blog anymore, and it doesn't matter.  I just don't ever do this - or at least, I don't feel like I do it often enough.

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

I wouldn't trade him for the world.  He's not perfect (and I'm nowhere near perfect, so I should know all about that, right???), but he's close enough for me.  He does those dumb little things that make me happy, and he treats me with strawberries.  Here's an example:

David: Would you like some strawberries?

Me: Yes.  Yes I would.

David walks over with strawberries, blueberries, and coconut, ready to eat.

How fantastic is that?  He does stuff like that all the time - and that's just one very small example.  He also lets me buy ugly shoes and doesn't harass me too much about them when I do!

So, I wanted to officially write a blog post telling you all how great my husband is.  I wish I was as good to him, as he is to me (or maybe I'm really lucky and I've got him fooled into believing I treat him so well?).  I love you David, and I wouldn't trade you for the world! XOXO