Wow, what an MC!

Yup, that's right - MC'ing is really my passion. I was asked to co-mic this year's Gatineau Zone Banquet this year with Isa Boucher, and from all accounts, it was a success. We had a little bit of a rough start, but I think we pulled it off near the end. I'm also happy to report that I will be assuming the role as Patrol Leader at Edelweiss (named Patrol of the Year!). It's something I've thought of doing, just not this quickly in my short (4 year) tenure, but I am honoured to not only be asked, but to be in a position to front a tremendous group of volunteers that selflessly dedicate themselves to provide first-aid services and a safe environment for skiers and riders.

Kathleen Edwards on Letterman

Had to share this with you. Ottawa/Wakefield sweetheart Kathleen Edwards performs "The Cheapest Key" from her new album Asking for Flowers on David Letterman. She is flanked by husband/guitarist Colin Cripps, and another one of Ottawa's finest musicians, Jim Bryson, on keyboard.

Now THAT'S Annoying!!!

Today I've decided to share a few things with you on what I find annoying. Some of these are little things, some specific to my daily life, and some that you may encounter day-to-day. For your sake, I hope not, but that's for you to decide. No numbering - that would indicate the level of annoyance. I've opted for bullets instead, which can be annoying to some - but I digress.

• The Blackberry - Oh, where do I begin???? No, I don't own one, otherwise, I would be singing it's praises. My hate-relationship with this little gem of technology stems from three things in particular - those who check it repeatedly (who the hell gets that much email in the span of 5 minutes?), those that read and play with it during meetings, presentations, and conferences, and those that click and type while going to the bathroom. Yes, you read that correctly! If you're in the can dropping a deuce, apparently playing with your RIM has replaced reading the newspaper, glazing over the cleverly written stall graffiti repartee , or staring blankly at the floor. Seriously - is nothing sacred anymore?
  
  
• Crotch or Ass - I may have stated this before, but I can't think of where. Regardless, if you take public transit as I do, you will know what I'm referring to. You are the lucky stiff who is at the beginning of the route. You, by default, get the seat. You, fortunately or unfortunately, get stuck in the 'aisle' side, and therefore, get accustomed to some stranger's crotch or ass. Sadly for you, no choice is given to who's ass or crotch will be inches away from your face, and chances are you won't like what's presented to you. If you are the standee, here' s a word of advice - face the front or back, side profile to those in the seats. Wear deodorant, and no matter how 'silent' you think that fart will be, we can still SMELL you!
  
  
• "That Being Said..." - please......Stop using this phrase!!! When the hell did it enter the vocabulary? It is the most overused, overexposed, and misplaced phrases in history. Now, with that being said, it does have it's place if used correctly.
  
  
• Sock lint. Am I the only person who suffers from this? No matter how often I launder my socks (black cotton), at the end of the day (another misused and equally annoying phrase) there inevitably will be lint stuck between my toes. "Why is this annoying Marc? ", you may be saying. Well, I'd be happy to share - because, said lint eventually makes it's way onto the light beige carpet. By the end of the week, I have a virtual black lint trail leading from the bathroom to my side of the bed. There, no more explanation.

Obviously, I've only scratched the surface, knowing full well there will be more I'd wished I'd added, but c'est la vie, non?

Goosefraba

OMG, I'm going to be a daddy. AGAIN!

Oh yes, the realization is just starting to hit me - 2-3 weeks more, and the unnamed, sexless bump in my wife's belly will emerge into this great blue world.

We've got the change table set up in our room, thanks to mom and dad. It shelves diapers that will cradle the smallest bum on earth. Last night, Lisa and I received a big bag of new clothes for the baby from my wonderful aunts! Seeing the tiny sleepers, slippers, blankets, suddenly brought me to my awakening.

I'll be a daddy to someone in less than a month.

Holy crap!

I'm just getting used to having an independently-minded 4 1/2 year old. Now I'll be going back in time, a time where there's constant poop and pee, feedings, sleepless nights, crying, worry and stress, needles, more worry. And that's just the first 3 months!

What have I gotten myself into?

I know it's too late, but perhaps I should have thought this through?

Ah, then I remember - I did think it through.

I thought about the poop and pee and the Diaper Genie, how when you change the bags, it looks like link-sausage, except it's filled with dirty diapers, not pork and by-products. I thought about how to wrap the little peanut the way the hospital shows you, the blanket cocooning all the warmth and protection that a womb offers. I thought about the way your baby stares into your eyes - not through them like your spouse does when you talk about hockey - but really LOOKS at you. I thought about gurgling noises, innocent farts that should never come out of anything so small, and those first toothless grins. I thought about the smile that brightens the dimmest day, the arms that instantly reach up for you when you enter a room, the belly zerberts that solicit endless laughter, and Baby Einstein videos.

For all that I am afraid and nervous of, it is equally matched by enthusiasm and happiness. I am glad that this experience is different from the last. There is going to be a little boy or girl that will be joining the human race in a very short time. I am going experience with my wife one of the most exciting and monumental events we've ever had together, one more time. I am going to witness an independently-minded 4 1/2 year old become a big brother! I'm going to see people in my life whom I love very much welcome the newest addition to our growing family.

Wow kid, that's a lot to live up to .

But that's okay, because I'm ready, Lisa's ready, Aiden's ready. Haven't met you yet, but I love you with all my heart, and I can't wait to hold you. See you soon, little bean.

38 - It's the new black!

Another year older. Still feel like I'm 18 sometimes, except I've noticed things that remind me I'm much older.

• My pants are tighter. Not in a 1980s hair-metal band way, more in the heavier, bigger mid-section way
• There's more gray hair.
• Some days I feel like I can run 100 meters in 13 seconds, but realistically I'm out of breath climbing two flights of stairs on most days
• It hurts sitting cross-legged
• My arms fall asleep when I hold a novel in a certain position for too long
• My short-term memory has gotten shorter

• I have a family that now extends past my parents and sister. I have my own now, and it's growing. In fact, I'm writing an entirely new and exciting chapter in the Plante/Lahey history.
• Some of my closest friends are from high school
• The people I see from high school have families of their own!
• I have the things I thought only my parents could possess (car, house, mortgage, debt, careers)
• I look at teenagers today and wish I can impart all of my knowledge from my youth to them, but deep down I know that they'll give me the same look I gave older people who tried giving me advice.
  
• People actually listen to what I have to say.
  
• I'm actually making a difference in my world.
• I've got a long way to go, and I like where I'm heading
• I'm happy

So, the very best wishes for me on this day. Before, I used to take the whole month of April just to celebrate. Now, I take a moment in the day to be a little introspective, and appreciate all that I have, and realize that the best gifts don't come in wrapping paper and bows - they are there, right in front of me, looking at me from across the breakfast table.

Oh yes, there WILL be blood

Last night I watched the movie There Will Be Blood. Do yourself a favour - watch this flick!

"Set in the early 20th century, the film follows the rise to power of Daniel Plainview -- a charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and psychological need to see any and all competitors fail. When he learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son H.W. to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life."

1) Daniel Day-Lewis is one of Hollywood's Greatest and, in my opinion, underrated actors (he won Best Actor award at the 2007 Oscars)
2) It's a long movie, coming in at 158 minutes, but worth every one!
3) Directed by the same guy who did Magnolia. Remember that one? Don't worry, not too many people do.

Superpowers

What if you were given a choice? What superpower would you choose?
Let's eliminate some of the obvious ones, and no, you can't choose "world peace" or "end hunger" because those aren't real superpowers.

Invisibility - good to have, but has it's limits. How could you really prove it? No one would see you!

Super Strength - again, could be fun, but then you give your mom a hug and crush her to death - not so fun, hero.

See into the future - not sure if this qualifies as a superpower, but if it were, I don't think you'd really want it. With all the good things you would see, you wouldn't be able to avoid the negative, thus compelling you to help that loved one trapped under a car or tree. Then you'd wish you'd chosen super strength.

Read Minds - Really. Do you want know what she's truly thinking about you? Now you want the invisible power!

Dimension jumping - I don't know how to word that one, but it's basically being able to disappear and then appear anywhere in the world, sort of like the movie "Jumper", although I haven't seen it. Ummm, that is one to consider. But that brings me to the one I would choose...

Flying - Can't think of any downside to this, unless you 1) hate flying, 2) afraid of heights. How many times have you wished for the freedom a bird has, the feeling of soaring high above the clouds! Or, avoiding gridlock in the morning, saving on the high cost of fuel, airline tickets, security. Yup, this one would be very, very cool.

What would your superpower be?

21st Century Living

As Matthew Good said, ambition's a tricky thing. It's like riding a unicycle on a dental floss tightrope over a wilderness of razor blades.

I was thinking about people's ambitions today as I passed by the University of Ottawa, looking at all those keen, fresh faces, hoping to make their mark in society. I thought about some of my old college friends, and what their ambitions were. My friend Jon was one of those guys who knew exactly what he wanted, and he was driven to get there in the shortest time possible. From what I've seen so far, he's accomplished that and then some. Family, money, traveling the world. It looks great, that's his ambition.

Me? Well, I'm about a week away from 38, and it feels like I'm on the edge of a great frontier. I feel like my life is finally STARTING, that everything I have done to this point was to prepare myself for what lay ahead, albeit a little slower than the vast majority it seems. I am happy to say that, finally, I am investing in a 'career' as opposed to a job, I am about five short weeks away from becoming a father for the second time, I have an incredibly loving and understanding wife, which by default, translates into a very happy marriage, and we're in the process selling our house for one that we can hopefully stay in for a long time and build those precious family memories that last a lifetime.

I've always been a big kid at heart, and that's not going to change anytime soon, but I've also reached a certain 'mental maturity', an understanding of what I want from life, what I have to offer, and what I'm willing to do, give, sacrifice. I realize that I work to live, not live to work. I love my job, but when presented with a possibility for quick advancement and opportunity, I now consider how much family time I will have to sacrifice, and right now, the little time I do have for my family and myself is worth more than gold.

So, as I looked at the university students on a fairly nice spring morning, I thought about ambition, about Matt Good's quote, and I thought about my own ambition. It is a tricky thing. We all walk that dental floss tightrope everyday. Knowing what's on the other side, realizing what is within reach, is what prevents us from falling.