Month: August 2017

Great Wolf Lodge

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday and today we enjoyed the water slides and Great Wolf Lodge. It’s a perfect ending to our summer vacation. Having children of an older age makes it a very different experience than the time we came here five years ago.


The first big change was requesting to stay on the Top Floor. Eight stories up- there aren’t any children running up and down the halls. We have a decent view of the side of the Resort as well.  The next big change- all of our children are comfortable in water. Neither parent forced to be with a child on every slide.


My wife and I took full advantage of not having to be with the kids. We snuck off to live life like a couple of teenagers. Sort of.  We were the parent couple that held hands walking up the stairs to the slides. We laughed and screamed as we went down the slides together. But our ages began to show. The exercise going up the stairs winded us.  Down the slides- the spinning and going backwards made us nauseous after a time.


Hours of waterparking gave us dry skin and prune hands and bad hair. The kids were independent and we were tired. There were no changes in how Great Wolf Lodge looks or is run. If anything, rust and peeling paint was more prevalent. The place is showing its age.  


Soon, our children won’t care much to return here.  But for now- it’s all about the fun!

Vacation Vacation 

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’m at the point in my vacation that I need a vacation from my vacation.  We have been nonstop going since my first day off. It isn’t slowing either.


Vacationing on a budget and trying to do as much as possible is a challenge.  So far, we’ve had a chance to have new experiences that will last a lifetime. We’ve been traveling around BC enjoying nature.  The weather has cooperated immensely.


I’ve hit a point though- I’m old. Early mornings and late nights to make the most of my time off are starting to have its toll. The kids have the energy which helps renew mine for most of the day.  I just need a day to recover.  Not like the old days- this isn’t a hangover. I’m too old for that. I just need a nap or two.

Death Note? More like Death No.

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Sadly, not everything Netflix touches turns into gold. The other day, my family and I watched the Netflix version of Death Note. The only thing about the movie was that it was DNINO. Yup. It fell under the trap of using a name of a popular show and had nothing to do with it. It was “Death Note In Name Only”.


Death Note was originally written as a fantastic anime. Years ago, my wife and I fell in love with it. So much so that we bought props and merchandise that reminded us of it. My wife has a necklace with an “L” on it and sometimes I call her “L”. I have a copy of a “Death Note” for myself. We also have a couple anime t-shirts from the series. Our eldest daughter has the series in manga form as well.


“Death Note” is a personal favorite anime of mine. It’s up there with “Akira”, “Astroboy” and “Cowboy Bepop” for shows that make the anime genre what it is. The Netflix version of “Death Note” is terrible. Even as just a regular movie it’s not good. This new movie only had the names of most of the characters and Ryuk. Not much more than that was accurate to the original story.


If I could write in my Death Note the names of those responsible for this terrible film, I would almost be tempted to do so. This new film was sacrilegious to the original. After watching the film, I am heartbroken by the knowledge that it wasn’t true to the storyline.

My advice to those thinking they should watch this new version of the show, watch the original anime instead. Trust me- you will love the character interactions and the climax of the storyline much more.

Netflix, I am saddened by what you have done to a beloved anime. Furthermore, if any director takes on “Akira” you better make it as accurate to the original as possible. You wouldn’t want fans going Neo Tokyo on you.

Longines FEI World Cup Experience 

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday was an experience to say the least. One that my wife and I spoke about afterwards as something we would like to do more often. It seems being a part of such a luxurious event is in our blood. The event was held just up the road from our home. Even though we didn’t know about it prior to last week.
We were invited to attend the FEI World Cup Jumping at the Thunderbird Show Park. (I found out TBird is North America’s premier equestrian show facilities next only to Calgary). It was Olympic Caliber Show Jumping and was open to the public to enjoy as well. I was ecstatic that I had been given an opportunity to view the show from such a nice location. We had a firsthand view of jump number 2 and 10.


Our seats were under a shaded tent at “The View Rosé Party”. We enjoyed a couple of glasses of Sparkling Rosé and some finger foods as the horses and riders ran the course throughout the afternoon. Prior to the show beginning, there was a live band on stage. They graced us with the Canadian National Anthem as well.  This show was impressing me already.

My wife and I joined a table of very knowledgeable spectators. My ignorance of how the show worked didn’t deter them from answering my questions. In fact, everyone at our table wasn’t just willing to give me advice and answer my questions, but they were also eager to bestow their knowledge upon me. As an outsider to the venue, I really appreciated the help.  The explanation of how the course works, the timing and penalties made me more focused as we watched.


The other people at our table have been to numerous events and knew many of the riders as well. I even got a bit of my “Nerd on” when I found out Jennifer Gates- daughter of a certain Bill Gates- was riding that day.


The food and sparkling Rosé was delicious as we watched the riders from our table. There was no slow down in the action. As soon as one rider was done, the next would take the field. I found myself getting more enthralled as each rider ran the course. My wife pointed out that I have a cute way of saying “awwww” when something bad happened. But the entire crowd would make this noise.


As the temperature began to rise towards 30°C I was appreciative of the bottled water supplied to us. I couldn’t imagine the sweat from the horses and riders as they pushed to make a great time. After the 27 riders finished the first run, it came down to the final seven. The show’s excitement came to an end as the final rider took to the course- and won. A picture perfect finalé for a wonderful afternoon.

It was the kindness of the fellow spectators that really made my wife and I want to return. (Which I think we shall attempt again next year.) A huge thanks should be given out to the volunteers and the hosts as well: both TBird and The View Winery. My wife and I will be back next year- we really enjoyed our afternoon date.

I’m a Writer? Cool!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Every day I share a blog post.  Mostly I try and be inspirational. I’m always focusing on the good points in life.  Sharing memories and adventures I have had. I do this for myself.  Like a diary of sorts. My own daily memoir.

Something unique happened to me.  An old friend of mine posted on social media if any  Fraser Valley bloggers wanted to come to a horse show and write about their experience. I raised my metaphorical hand and said, “I blog daily.” And with that, I was invited to a horse show. Little known fact about me living in the countryside: I know NOTHING about horses.

Ya.  About that.  Within moments of my friend giving me the okay to come blog, I had to ask two questions. Now, I like to think of myself as a smart man… usually I can figure something out in context.  But I was at a loss within seconds of her sending me info. 


I had some serious studying to do.  This show was far from my comfort realm of movies and family. As excited as I am to be invited to write, I am terrified as well. Not just the idea of learning about a horse show, but also becoming one of the crowd.

I can’t show up in pink hair with a Batman t-shirt or dressed in Steampunk. I can understand this, however, I was also bringing my wife along. She is equally as concerned about “Keeping up appearances.” So we searched our wardrobes to find an outfit in order to blend in to a crowd without standing out.


I’d like to say we succeeded in “Sunday Horse Show with the Elite” look. Maybe my idea of how things go at these shows is out to left field. I am about to find out, and I’m taking my wife on the journey. A hot date in a location we normally wouldn’t think about attending. We entered “The View Winery Rosé Party” and we sat at a table and felt like we belonged. We talked with other spectators and began to enjoy our afternoon.

Stay tuned tomorrow to see how our afternoon turned out.

Never Give Up On Your Goals

Posted on by Josef Havelka

On Tuesday I set a goal.  The goal was immediately mocked by my wife and two of our kids. 

Taunts were said of 

“You’ll never make it.”

“It’s too far.”

“You’ll turn around.”

A part of me began to think they were right. Perhaps my goal would be unachievable. I wasn’t about to give up before setting out. And yes, the goal wasn’t metaphorical- it was an actual thing. I wanted to paddle across the lake to a small island. In a cheap inflatable raft. This was totally doable, right? But it was so far away…


Our middle child decided she wanted to go with me. She was the only one who thought we could make it. I was glad to have the company.  Plus if we failed- I’d have someone to fail with (or read that as “blame” if we turned back).


We started off weak. My daughter didn’t have the co-ordation to paddle. She struggled and fought with the water. It took me a lot of explaining to just take it slow and steady while paddling. About a quarter of the way there and it seemed like we had hardly gone anywhere.


At the halfway point was the “make it or break it” decision.  We could feel the burn starting in our arms, but it wasn’t enough to deter our progress. We had been paddling for almost an hour at this point. (Mostly because of the slow start.) We then began a percentage countdown together. 

“Only 40% left to go.”

“I’d say we are at 25% now.”

“Last push for the final 10%. Let’s sprint.”


Finally we arrived. Sore and thrilled to have made it. We got off the inflated boats and climbed up to our victory. It wasn’t crossing the ocean in a kayak with media hubbub, but to us it was HUGE.


The payoff was euphoric. The views made it all worthwhile. For a small little island, we explored every inch of it. Everywhere we looked, it seemed like a different location; as if we had visited numerous islands. My daughter decided to swim around the island back to the boats. I climbed back up and around, glad to have done what was set out to do.


Our goal accomplished, we left the island behind us.  The journey back to our camp went much more quickly. In a little under an hour, we could see my wife and son on the shoreline waiting to greet us with surprise and congratulations.


With my story comes the motivational “After school special” lesson:

Life is full of difficult challenges. Setting your personal goals are exactly that. No one else should deter you from accomplishing these goals. The naysayers will hurt your ego. Some will even love to watch you fail. Screw ’em. Do your damned best. 

Make it to your island. Look back to where you started from. The views may surprise you.

Earth, Water, Wind, Fire- A Week of Camping

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We just finished our second family camping trip ever. We returned to 20 Mile Bay at the north end of Harrison Lake. We came up on Monday and left earlier today. It was great to say the least.


Our first day up there was mostly navigating the 33km dirt logging road for a little over an hour. Followed by setting up camp. The smoke from forest fires on the opposite side of the lake sat heavy in the air. But our camp view was breathtaking to say the least. ($15/day to enjoy it? Going to double our stay next year thank you!)


The next day my daughter and I decided to paddle in our inflated rafts to a small island in the lake. A little over an hour of rowing, complaining, floating, and more rowing got us to our goal.  We wandered the island and then we relaxed in the water before trekking back. When we returned, I needed to take a couple of Advil for the muscle pain , followed by a nap.


Later that afternoon it began to get a bit windy.  So the kids pulled out their dollarstore kites and were entertained for a couple of hours. It seems that they now want better kites for future use.


On Wednesday morning, my son wanted to go out on the inflated boats with me.  We decided to stay close to the shoreline and went around the campgrounds for a couple of hours.  I was still pretty sore from all the paddling the day prior, so this one was more leisurely.

A couple of friends were going to come up and meet us at noon.  Last year we had no cell service, so I didn’t turn on my phone this time around. By three o’clock I decided to try and turn on my cellphone. The service in our spot was spotty and intermittent.  But better than anywhere else on the campgrounds (no, I am not telling you the site number- my secret). Unfortunately the text messages that came through meant our friends were not going to make it.  So I took a nap. Naps are the best.


After my nap I decided to get “Girl Drink Drunk”  (old “Kids in the Hall” reference) on Growers cider that we were going to share with our friends. I suffered so much heartburn followed by a decent headache before bed to regret my poor choice.  I’ll stick to my casual beers from now on.


Over night was a pretty good windstorm.  The side of our tent was blowing over onto my wife.  We giggled at 2am for at least an hour while my wife cackled about “Tenty is trying to eat me!” Thursday morning the water was choppy and it was still extra windy.  My wife and I wandered around the camp on a hike and just admired the views and each other’s company. We enjoyed all of our days there.


We enjoyed the nights as well. Our evenings were spent around a propane campfire pit.  We also had music from an old iPod on shuffle playing through a Bluetooth speaker. These were the two “luxuries” that we afforded ourselves. No DVD players or internet. (Cameras and camp stoves were a necessity for reasons). The kids sang along and danced to music that they once made fun of me for enjoying.


Every free moment was spent reading.  We all brought books and just lounged lakeside and read. These five days were the best $75 I have ever spent on a vacation.

A True Man Cave

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last weekend we visited my sister in Powell River. Besides my sister having an amazing view all year round of the ocean, her husband has something equally as impressive. He built the most masculine garage I have ever been in.


When he is in town, his buddies love to stop by.  Some gorgeous cars and Harleys show up.  Inside the garage is a work space and diamond plates used as door frames and along the back of his counters. A grey, silver and black paint job cleans the place up.


He also has a tv, stereo, classic beer fridge, a large round table with “Corona” burned into it and bar stools.  Never need a reason to leave this room.

A couple of quads, a couple of his own bikes, and his black Super Sport are often seen inside.  

One of his bikes has gorgeous red imagery painted on the tank and fenders. He fired it up and you could feel the rumble just standing nearby.


I’m not mechanical in any way except doing an oil change. But I do appreciate the necessity of a Man Cave to promote your hobby.  His garage is pretty fantastic and well built. I hope he gets years of use out of it.

Vegetables and Herbs

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Every year we grow our own food.  Something about the taste of a freshly picked vegetable really makes a meal.


Every evening my wife goes out to water and cover the plants. Every morning she goes to check on the progress.  It’s always a slow start at the beginning of the season as the seeds begin to take root.  Patience in gardening is required.


In the past, we have purchased some plants that were already begun at a nursery.  This year was mostly seeds.  We also tried something new by putting everything up higher on tables.  This was to keep the wild rabbits out.  It seemed to work.


We have moved everything closer to our house now so that they don’t wither up in the sun.  This should also slow the growing process a bit as well to spread out the vegetables over the next couple of weeks as they finish ripening. 

I can’t wait to dive into some of the peppers my omelettes will be devine.

Touring Breweries

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Since last Wednesday, I stopped at a few breweries for a couple of Growler fills and to try something new.

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First we stopped at Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company for a fill of a blonde and grabbed a couple of bombers.

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Before making it to my mother’s, we stopped at Gladstone and got a fill of a Cream Ale.

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The next day we stopped at Shelter Point Distillery.  I shared that adventure here. Followed by a stop at Beach Fire Brewing Company for a flight and a fill of a Raspberry Beer.

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We headed to Powell River the following day and stopped at Townsite Brewing.  I was here in the spring and enjoyed a flight. We picked up a fill of a Blackberry beer since Powell River was celebrating Blackberry Days Festival.

My wife and I enjoyed the brews we sampled and have some remaining to enjoy at home.

Eclipse

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Big news today! The sun is getting blocked out and everything will go dark.  I’m excited- like a true nerd should be. 


However, I didn’t buy into the commercial hype.  Or the kooky glasses.  I’m not planning on staring at the sun.  Up north here it’ll be a partial eclipse. Still exciting and retina damaging. But I will watch the live feed on NASA. 


Just remember to wear the right kind of glasses. No need to kill your eyesight.  So be safe out here. Even in the partial zones. This is the scientific event of 2017. Pretty cool. 

The Eagle Has Landed

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday evening, my 14 year old nephew and my 11 year old son wanted to go out before dinner.  They asked everyone in the house to give them a ride. Each person kept sending them away and told them to ask someone else.  Including myself. Finally I asked where it was they wanted to go. 


My nephew talked about a place just up the road called Eagle River. He mentioned pools of water and cliff diving. I decided that it sounded kind of neat, and I really didn’t know what kind of cliffs a young boy would imagine. Next thing I knew, I was driving four children for a quick dip before dinner. I’m glad my wife came along as well to help look after the kids.


My nephew directed me towards the location that we could take the vehicle to. The river run directly under Highway 101 on the outskirts of Powell River. As you walk down, you can see the water running off and forming a large pool.  The cutouts in the rocks almost made it look like old Aztec ruins.  Then you round the corner and the views continue to be amazing.


There was only a few guys on the far end.  I went over and took a look.  One guy was doing backflips off the waterfall into a pool of water below.  I was most impressed.  These were definitely cliffs and it was definitely not something I was about to attempt or let the children who were with me attempt. That was a young man’s adventure. I’ve been cliff diving before, but didn’t want to encourage the small ones to try it.


So we stayed in the first pool of water.  By one edge it was fairly deep, so the two oldest did their version of cliff jumping about ten feet up from the water. Even though it wasn’t nearly as high up, the kids still had a bit of fear in them as they teetered before the first jump.

If we return next summer, this is going to be a place we hit for longer than an hour.  It was secluded and essentially empty. The water was clear with a jade hue, but clean nonetheless. Sometimes taking the time to listen to a kid can lead us on a great adventure. Eagle River was exactly that.

Powell River

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Powell River is a silent little city that my sister and her family lives near. There are two ferry terminals that you can use to get to off this rock towards more civilization. The summer months are absolutely beautiful here.


My sister is right on the water with a view of the ocean and Texada island. Her home could be a Bed & Breakfast if she wanted.


I spent the morning enjoying a coffee as the boats sailed by. It was a great way to start my day. But my allergies were not being my friend.


For lunch, we drove out to Beach Hut Fish & Chips.  It was recommended by a friend of mine. Boy, was it delicious. Some of the best deep fried goodies I have had in ages.


After lunch, we drove to the end of Highway 101 to a bakery that my sister recommended.  $48 in cinnamon buns for tomorrow’s breakfast were picked up.  Our car smelled heavenly for the 45 minute drive back to my sister’s home.


This afternoon is pretty much the same as the morning. Only it’ll be a cold beverage and a deck chair as I enjoy the views. My kids are down exploring the rocks and the ocean while I write this.  

This quick getaway visiting my family is exactly what I needed to start my vacation time. Now to get back to lounging and doing nothing.

Campbell River

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We had 48 hours in Campbell River.  So we made the most of it.  

My wife and I hit the Shelter Point Distillery at lunch and then off to the Beach Fire Brewing Company for some more samples.


My wife and I had a lovely afternoon together sampling booze.  We paused at the 50th Parallel for a short walk and enjoyed the scenery. We returned to my mother’s place for dinner with the family and then headed out again.


We goofed around with a selfie stick and the kids took pictures at the beach with their cameras.  We took my mother’s dog with us for a walk as well.  My family has stopped using her slave name Jodie and renamed her Snowball. (Rick and Morty fans would love this dog!) 


We checked out this year’s wood carvings.  It added a bit more silliness to our night.  Then we headed back to Gramma’s for some dessert and another sampling of Sunshine in a Barrel before calling it a night.


This morning we went down to the local beach near Gramma’s for an early morning stroll. Our oldest daughter grumbled and argued about going. In the end, we “forced her” to come along. We parked near the sea walk and her and I wandered out towards the water.  


There was a large rock that had an entire ecosystem living at the base. We saw sea stars, crabs, hermit crabs, a sea anemone, some eels and a sea slug. My daughter took some photos with her cellphone.

After an enjoyable walk, we went back to Gramma’s and I made breakfast. We were getting ready to pack up and head out to my sister’s place next when my sister called. My kids decided that we should invite Gramma to Auntie Nikki’s. More because they wanted her dog to show up.


We ventured forth to another ferry. And waited for almost two hours to catch this ferry.  We wanted to be early so we could wander the beaches nearby and our oldest could take better photos with a digital Canon Powershot S5 that we lent her.

All-in-all it was a good 48 hour visit to Campbell River. The family and I are all smiles going on these journeys. Our puppy was happy as well.

Shelter Point Distillery 

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today’s adventure was something I never thought I’d truly enjoy.  It was few steps above brewery tours and a step above a winery tour. I’m talking about delighting in a Distillery tour.


The Shelter Point Distillery is in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. They use barley that they grow themselves as the sugar for the base. It is soaked in hot water after crushed. A ton of grain gives 5000L of Wort. One tank is filled every day. It takes seven days for wort to become wash. All grains are from BC. For single malt, they use their own grain grown on site. Fun fact: Whiskey is distilled beer. But you wouldn’t want to drink distilled beer. It is 10% alcohol.


The Shelter Point Distillery uses pure copper tanks, 1/4″ thick and 18 feet tall which were hand made in Scotland. The tanks were extremely impressive. Turning liquid into steam, back from steam to liquid.


Then it goes into a condenser. Then back to a spirit cell. This creates a purer alcohol. Nothing is wasted. They separate the heart (the good stuff) from the head and tail during this process. Three barrels worth of alcohol are created, then a desicion to make either vodka or whiskey happens.


They distill four times and make a beautiful tasting whiskey. Shelter Point started production seven years ago.  Whiskey barrels stay in warehouse for a minute minimum 3 years or it is not considered whiskey. It takes 5 years to make their gold winning whiskey. Fun fact 2: Their whiskey is 20% faster to reach maturity than in Scotland. Because of the temperatures in BC. Each year 2.5% evaporates from the barrels. This is considered “The Angel’s Share” in old Scottish terms.


For the flavored vodkas: they use only pure natural flavors with no sugar added. It take 3-4 weeks to make vodka compared to almost 3 years for whiskey.

The tour was given to us by an older gentleman named Brian.  It was from him that I was able to parlay all of my whiskey wisdom in today’s blog post. It was a good thing I took notes… He gave us samples of whatever we wanted to try.  After sampling the vodkas and the whiskeys, my wife and I had to make some purchases.


Barrel of Sunshine is one of the best tasting liqueurs I have ever tasted.  It was a tasty mix of orange,chai spice and maple.  It is a perfect dessert sipper to end a beautiful day. Three bottles are coming home with us! Plus a bottle of Red Apple Vodka.


A safe ride after was in order. It was a beautiful day to visit Shelter Point Distillery and sample BC’s only quadruple distilled Whiskey.  And only the second Distillery in Canada that makes quadruple distilled whiskey besides one in Nova Scotia.

Cheers!

Rest and Relaxation

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Day one of vacation began at the end of a 12 hour night shift.  And it was Go Time right from the beginning.  I had planned an early arrival at the ferry terminal to connect with a ferry about an hour and a half later.  So I took a nap in the back seat of our Nissan Pathfinder. 


We boarded the vessel and I took another nap in the back seat with our puppy.  Our kids went onto the upper deck and played some cards- like typical BC ferry riders! I had a tough time falling asleep because a car alarm was going off two rows over throughout most of the ferry ride.


Our puppy enjoyed the time we had sleeping.  He also enjoyed going for walks at the ferry terminal. Lots of neat smells and places to mark apparently.  He was even treated to a couple 67¢ McDonald’s Hamburgers.  McDonald’s was doing a one day promotion to celebrate 50 years in Canada!  Thank you for the dog food McDicks!


We stopped in Coombs again on the drive up to Gramma’s.  I wasn’t hallucinating, there was a goat on the roof.  And it was a busy little location.  Picked up some road trip candied and smoked salmon before we were on our way again.  A couple brewery stops to fill some growlers were a must as well.


We stopped along the water for a few more photos and I discovered some new friends.  These guys rock!  One was named Potato Rock and he came with us because he needed a new home. We made it to Gramma’s home and I took another nap. Now it’s dinner time and I’m going to crack a bomber from one of the breweries.


A good start to my vacation. Cheers everybody!

18 Days of Freedom…

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I am doing a night shift tonight followed by 18 days away from work.  Nearly 3 weeks.  I’m looking forward to just chilling out for the end of the summer. It’s been years since I’ve had so much time off.  The last time I can remember having a block like this was when I was laid off. At least this time, I’ll be getting paid vacation.


As much as I am looking forward to my time away, I still need to remain focused overnight.  My work is not a forgiving environment when mistakes are involved. Statistically most accidents or incidents occur when it is right before a weekend or vacation. People’s heads aren’t always in the game.

I want to safely finish my day (night) and enjoy some time away from work.  A little rest and relaxation are in order. My wife is looking forward to spending time as a family as well.  I’m looking for to enjoying a couple of adult beverages and a tour of Shelter Point Distillery this week.

Cheers!

I Forget

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Holy balls. I completely forgot what I was going to write about today.  I had this thing in my mind.  I created an outline in my head and put the pieces of my ideas into thoughts.  But I didn’t write it down.  


I know I had a thing to write about.  And it was going to be such a great literary piece.  But I didn’t finish -let alone start- today’s blog when the thoughts were current.  I came home from a night shift and promptly crawled into bed.  Ugh.  All those thoughts as I drove home, gone in a nap.


So now, I have forgotten my epic story.  My masterpiece is lost forever in the deluges of the dream world. Dreams which I have also since lost clarity of as each waking moment passes. Today, I underachieved- and that’s ok.

Fix It

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I love helping out.  It’s in my nature to promote others to greatness.  Or coming in and fixing problems with a fresh outlook.


I’m not saying everything works out for the better.  But it sure takes the sting off what could’ve been far worse. I’m always ready to lend a helping hand without expecting anything in return.  If it’s at work or with friends, I try to make sure that something positive comes about.  

If you need me- I’ll be there.

Inspirational

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I'm feeling good these days. The kids are happy, my wife is healthy, my work is pleasant, our home is messy… Having a clean and finished home means it'd be time to move out. At least that's what I've noticed in the past. Any time all of the repairs and chores got done, it is time to sell a house. So as long as our home is a mess, we won't be moving.


I'm also still writing on a daily basis. I do this to keep a momentum going. Maybe one day I'll put together that novel I have inside of me. I also write as a way to have time to myself. It's very therapeutic to just relax and write. I originally started writing as a way to express myself. However, I feel I have grown emotionally over the past year and a half.


Those of you who know me, have now seen another side of me. Those of you who don't know me, maybe you find solace in knowing that not everything is perfect. Sometimes it's a story about me being a loving father, other times it could be about the sad child I once was. I write whatever comes to mind. I am still hiding a lot of myself behind a closed door. I don't think I'm ready to share those stories yet.


I don't want to share some anecdotes on the World Wide Web because I worry that they could define me in the eyes of the reader. They'd also be out there forever. I want to express an exemplary life in my writing. I want people to be inspired as well. I'm by no means perfect. Nevertheless, I strive for perfection.

And so I write. I write as a way of cleaning out my mind. As long as there is work to do and cleaning to be done, I won't be moving out. I'm still here for many more years to come.

Dog Days Are Done

Posted on by Josef Havelka

With less than a month remaining with summer, it feels like we haven't done much. But I'd be wrong. It also feels like we are cramming the last of summer vacation into two weeks, but again, I'd be wrong… Kind of.


The past week or so has been dry, warm and smoke filled. We have reached the end of the Dog Days of Summer. It has made for a more lackadaisical few days. Not much has been going on in my household which is nice in a sense. We are working on plans to finish up the summer as well as a bit of back to school preparation.

Our middle child is changing bedrooms. Which is a good reason to de-clutter and purge unwanted items. This has us busy off and on during whatever moments we have available.

My family is getting a bit stir crazy and I feel we need to get away. So that's the plan. Get out of the house and chill out someplace else before the hectic school activities begin.

We are planning a visit to my mother's home and then my sister's home. We also have some camping plans and a couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge thrown in for some waterpark fun.

Summer is far from over. Let's do this!

Farts Are Funny

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yup. Today's post is about passing gas.

I think farts are amusing.

They feel good too. Everyone has a good fart story to share. And we all laugh. Sometimes we laugh so hard we fart. And that's funny too.

There's no reason to deny that we fart. Just pass the gas and giggle.

Enjoy a video:
Musical Fart

If I could share one of my farts here, I would. Maybe next time we hang out, I will share one. A fart that is.

A Nothing Something

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This is about nothing. A bunch of nothing filling a screen about nothing. Essentially it is the epitome of nothingness. Just a bunch of words creating sentences. No stories about things or activities. Just nothing.

But it's my nothing. A nothing that has turned into something. A little something I needed to write. Something I wanted to write. A something about writing nothing.

Nothing about something. Something about nothing.

Goodbye.

Admiring Art

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Near my place of work in Vancouver there is some art painted on the side of a building. It's nice. Each piece shows an iconic aspect of the city.


Here are some close ups of the better pieces:


I love seeing artist's interpretations of the world. Sometimes it's gritty, other times it's overwhelming with beauty. Seeing art around the town brightens my day at work. I am particularly biased to the spray paint/ graffiti style. A quick art option that pops with color. Especially in a concrete jungle.

Bringing life to the dull.

Six

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It happened suddenly and without warning. It wasn't until I looked at my salary that it actually hit me. After all is said and done, I somehow make six figures a year. No, it's not a brag in this day and age either. It's just an observation really. A fact I never tried to accomplish.

I am far from educated so that never got me very far. Life has always been a push or even a struggle to get up that hill into adulthood. Pinching pennies, spending long hours working, having a plan, sticking to a budget. All of it with goals in mind. Not all of the goals involved money.

I never sought money as a reason to work. Of course money is noice and affords me the lifestyle I want to live. But working for money? Not my thing. I have been enjoying work because of the challenges it presents me. Jobs lose their luster and thrill after a while but my current job has so many avenues available to me, I really don't know where I may end up.

So, I set my goals. Next year? Travel as much as possible. The year after? Put money into upgrading the home. The year after that? Help our oldest with post secondary education. The year after that? More travel. The work I get paid to do helps promote my plans. Sixth year? Seems like it will hit me fast.

Work goals? Learn as much as possible whenever possible. Share my knowledge with others. Help others achieve their goals. Make a difference in how the work environment feels. None of that sounds too lofty. Nor does it feel like a corporate ladder to climb. I figure if something interests me, I'll work towards it.