A Mens' Group

Saturday, Sept 15, sunny and clear, +27, beautiful fall day.
The weather was perfect on Friday.
I spent some time at the office talking with Chris about the photos of the Rocksolid homes that have been built.
Drove to the Edmonton Flying club, chatted with them, found out that all the planes were booked for the day.
Called Derek but he was busy working. So I went golfing as a walk on at Goose Hummock. Had a good day even if the long drives were a little of an embarrassment. The walk was long and I will be taking a golf cart from now. Golf is to be fun but with the long walk of 5 hours it is not fun anymore when the legs are aching in the evening. The company of the other golfers was good and the course was in great shape. I managed to connect with Derek in the evening. He was working long hours because he and Viola are off to Vancouver for Tom S's wedding next Saturday. He is taking care of himself even if he is spending long hours at the job. Derek said that they stopped in at the hot springs that Susan talked about from her trip up North this spring.
The dreary discussion continues on most of the TV channels about the destruction in the United States . The speculation by all the “experts” who are now getting on the television shows and how much they know about everything is getting tiring and repetitious. The Canadian channels are starting to get back to regular programming.
The sports industry has been shut down till next week in memory of the many deaths. People are starting to say they need the sports and games to take their minds off the constant barrage of depressing information about the events.
Warren called for a squash game this morning. Sally came along for workout and was waiting for us when we finished. The games were good, with my winning the majority of games. We spent some time discussing the events of the week and relating our experiences. Warren has at least another full week of intense work and long hours before he completes the programming and running of the new computor programs. He is near the end of this segment of the company and product that he is creating. It will be an experience that will stay with him for a long time.
He said that no one showed up at the group last week. Peter had suggested that he would be there, but Michel and Hector had said they would not be able to make it.
I told Warren about my phone call to mom during the disaster on Tuesday to see how she was and her statement about how much it meant to her. He said that his mother had called him and other members of the family to make sure that they were all right.
The hole has been dug for the Noel's home on Friday.
The traffic has been quite slow today, only about 5 people, even with the great weather. I would guess that they are enjoying the warm weather and doing things around the house. I expect two people back on Sunday to get more information and to look at the houses again. Kimberley will be in to get some hard prices for the Nantucket, which will be in her price range. The fellow from Thursday will bring in his wife to look at the Artisan again. If the house in BC has sold I would expect Kimberley to make a quick decision if her husband is agreeable. Her daughter would finally have a house to call her own and a room to play in.

Sunday, Sept. 16 - sunny and clear +21 Beautiful fall day. Weather is great.
Good traffic with a couple of leads. The media is still all over the destruction in New York. Stock market opens tomorrow with no one knowing what will happen. Bush continues to threaten everyone he does not like. Little does he know that his power is very limited over a people that have nothing to lose and nothing to destroy.
Susan is well. Dana called to say that he continues to look for work outside the film industry. He had one day of work on a film. He and a friend are trying to create a company that will allow them to get a grant to produce some unique items. This is something in the future.

Wednesday, Sept. 19, cloudy and rain showers + 19
The weather patterns have created showers over the three past days.
I had lunch with Cheryl on Tuesday after I drove out to Leduc to take some photos of the homes we built out there. Her cold is gone and she is progressing on her work duties at the hotel. She is meeting with the boss to further define these duties. She said Darryl is OK but is spending too much time at her place and seems to want to move in instead of getting a place of his own. At the moment he is living at his mother's place.
Lee and Shirley came in with a checque for the deposit on Monday and will meet with John next Monday to finalize the house plans. Cam met with John and I on Tuesday to further the plans on his home at the end of Potter Greens. He is leaving at the end of Sept for three weeks on a golf holiday so John wants to have as much finalized and be ready to build before he goes away. So would I.
I continue to look at laptop computers, Compaq, IBM and others at Future Shop, Staples and similar places. The price range is all about the same. I will have to wait till I have other things paid off and will reward myself with this unit when the time is correct. I will also look at a sofa when I get back from Toronto.
Susan is spending the early part of the week at Maxine's place since she is out of town for two weeks. She is quite enjoying being close to her dad and the quietness in the house. Holly is a little put out with her mother staying somewhere else but will not take it too hard.
The speech therapist came to look and listen to Mathew and suggested that he is fine but will come back to have another look at him later.
Peter called to say that he is going to his class reunion in Winnipeg this weekend and will not be at the group session. We should be holding it at the showhome since I do not have any one scheduled for Thursday.

Sunday, Sept. 23 sunny +24, GREAT AUTUMN WEATHER
Friday was great.
Weather was a little drizzly but I went out to River Ridge golf course to see what I could see. The course was in great shape and only a few people were around. The special green fee was $25 and included a cart. Started off myself and played with my swing which started to come together. Met up with a couple of other guys my age and played the rest of the round with them. It was a good time and I got to hit with a new driver one of the fellows had on a trial basis. Nice driver, my slice might be the result of the old club I have. I will have to look for an orphan large driver at one of the golf stores this winter.
Played squash with Warren on Saturday, who informed me of his discussion with Jeff from Toronto. Warren told him that he was back together with Victoria and they might be moving to Toronto to live and work. They would sell their homes here and start a fresh life in the East. I said I was very surprised and did not let on that Nora had met with me and filled me in last month. Jeff gave Warren quite a different story. He wanted to tell Warren something else but was not able to complete the information for one reason or another.
Jeff has slipped back to what makes him comfortable and will have a much more difficult time when he hits the wall again in the future. He will be able to hide himself in work for a long time so he does not have to confront the things and issues he is avoiding. I wish him the best but I doubt that it will work out in the long run. Warren felt that Jeff was on the wrong track also.
Work is progressing well with continued interest from a couple clients, especially Kimberley.
The wedding that Susan and I went to last night was quite lovely with the newly wed 38 year olds (second wedding for both) being quite a special event. We danced and had a relaxed fun time. Susan is discussing with Holly and Luke the living arrangement while they are in town. Luke's application for the RCMP has been put on hold for a year, so now he is not sure of what he wants to do. He is not interested in school and is at loose ends. Susan is a little concerned but will let him make up his own mind.
Traffic is good on Sunday with Kimberley back in with more questions and fine tuning their new home. It depends on the sale of their home in BC. It may be a deal not worth chasing because of the difficulties that are starting to make themselves known. I will get as much from the guys and pass it on to Kimberley and her husband.
Cory was in a good mood when we talked on Thursday. He is looking at going down to the south and spending some time with Greg for a vacation.
Gillian is all excited about the reception for Simon and wants me to help move tables and chairs on Friday. I intend to spend the time with Dana if he is not working on a job. She will be disappointed but she will have a great deal of help. Cory will be working for her for rent. He and I worked out what we are doing for Dana's birthday. I will spend some money to get his computer up and running. Linda will chip in and maybe get him a micro wave so he can at least eat hot food.

Monday, Sept. 24, sunny + 29 great fall day
Lee and Shirley P came in to talk with John and sign off on the conditions. John helped them finalize the design on the house with a blue print to come before Lee leaves on a holiday Oct. 8
Slow day in terms of traffic.
Susan C had supper with Susan R to catch up on their lives, and all that is happening with their daughters and grand children. She said that they had a very good evening.
Dana called after midnight and woke me up. I was not impressed.

Sept. 25 sunny, +29 another great fall day.
Meet Cheryl for a golf game at River Ridge. The weather was great and we had a good time. I showed Cheryl the finer points and the basic points of the golf game so she could enjoy the outing. She said that she had a great time. She has purchased a car that she has desired for a long time. Her work is going well, as is her relationship with her fellow. She has a good understanding of his good points as well as her limitations. TJ's birthday party was a great success.
I chatted with mother to set up a lunch date with her on Wednesday. She is in a good mood and is taking Gillian's energy burst in a light vain.
Cheryl had not heard that Merci was preparing a surprise birthday party for Terry at the end of the month. She said that she was not surprised.

Wednesday, Sept 26.-
Monday, Oct. 1, cloudy + 16,
Back from Toronto and the reception for Simon and Kati. Good time was had by all. I will have to catch up on sleep this week. The next few weeks will be nice and relaxing.
Nothing much happened at the show home with John - a few people came back but did not make any aggressive moves that would result in a sale.
I picked up a cheque from Chris and deposited it this afternoon. It will help after the money that I have loaned to Dana and Cory. This will have to come to an end.
Gillian did well with the reception and all the guests. She had a great deal of help from Kay, Gordon and Marion plus many others. Jason treated her poorly by setting things up so he and she would do everything and then he made sure he would not be able to be around to do anything because of work. Simon and Kati were wonderful although a little bit overwhelmed by the week end. Gillian continued her insecurity with a constant question on how everyone enjoyed themselves and if everything was great and on and on and on.
Cory and Dana continue on their lives. I will have to let them live it as they see fit.
I will have to limit the help or interference with money and direction. It will be hard but it is something I will have to do. I will need to protect my finances should anything happen to me. I cannot finance their living easily in Toronto anymore. They will have to make the hard decisions if they are to get full value from life.
Susan and I chatted on Saturday night. She was OK and at home. She said that she would have to make an attitude adjustment in her feelings toward the kids at home and the invasion of her privacy.
The flights were good both to and from Toronto. I did not have a great deal of time to chat with Gillian about her concerns but came to the conclusion that she is a very negative person in a rather different way. Her ability to criticize or critique a person or an event is a constant in her life. She continues this in a repetitive fashion over a long period of time, years, and hours or minutes whatever the time frame that suits her. She cannot comprehend or cannot believe that her way of doing things is not the correct or accepted way of doings things and everyone should know these things or at least strive to do things correctly. Her repetitive actions continue to turn people off and frustrate them. That is her style and I do not think that she will ever change and will be hard pressed to even consider that what she is doing, has created a wall between her and many other people.
Tuesday, Oct. 2 /2001 to Feb 2002 sunny clear warm fall day + 22

The traffic was slow yesterday because of the weather and cool temperatures.
Called several clients to pass on different amounts of information and stay in touch. One of the clients suggested it would be March before the will was completed. I have not heard back from John M. He was confident that he would call back when he was ready. Went over to Susan's place last night, had a coffee, chatted with Holly and Luke for a while. Holly is continuing to look at new homes to build and getting information on homes that are on the market. She managed to get bitten by a large dog while she was walking her large dog. The leg was bruised but was OK otherwise. Mathew is still being active and quite busy in the evenings with all the attention he is getting. He talks a great deal but is not forming words to the satisfaction of his mother. A speech therapist is coming by on a regular basis to assess and assist Holly in any work that is needed.
I left after a while because I was tired; all the energy was a bit much. Susan skipped her water exercise on Monday because I came over. That was nice of her. We are getting together at my place after work. It will be a great deal quieter.
I went through Cory's boxes, found his tapes and a few other things along with his darts that I will send out to him. I managed to clean out some stuff, consolidate a few other items and will be able to throw out some boxes that had been stored in the closet. I should be able to take apart the speakers that came from the truck and combine them with the other large speakers. I should call him to find out whether he wants me to send him the stuffed bears and toys that he has accumulated in the boxes.
Warren is in Ottawa and will be back next week. I miss the squash that was a regular part of our week.
The boys are out golfing today, a great day. I talked to Carol today and will take her and her sister out for lunch on Friday the 12 if all is well to thank them for the work they do behind the scenes for me. She was quite pleased to be asked.
I paid off some of the Credit card debt and left some money in the bank for the upcoming expenses. When I get paid for Cam's house it will go toward the balance of the card debt.
Melvina should come in soon to put some money down on this house for spring occupancy.
I will have to talk with Gillian in the future but I will allow her to call me and ask me how I enjoyed the reception. She will have asked everyone who was there may times how they felt about the do.
Simon and Kati will now go about their normal work days, film and medicine and create a normalcy that will hold them in good stead.
Gillian will need the help of Val and other friends to become comfortable with what is happening. She will now be able to talk about the new foreign woman that is in Jason's life and how it would be perceived by the people and friends around her. I am surprised that Gillian did not mention Sidney, the dog, until I brought it up. Sidney, will shuttled between Jason and his ex-girlfriend and Gillian’s place by Gillian.

Wednesday, Oct, 3, cool fall day windy and some clouds + 18
Susan stayed for coffee last night but only for a little while, she seemed to be in a hurry but maybe it was my imagination. She is quite preoccupied by the events that are happening in her home. Luke has decided to travel to Florida with his girl this Christmas and use some of his student loan to do so. The ease that young kids play with their money. I am now indifferent with how Cory and Dana use their money.
Delivered the ladder to Susan's place and left it in the area by the garage. I rescued a box from the recycle area by a store, packed it with the printer, video tapes, pictures and some clothes for Cory and sent it on the Greyhound bus collect. He will have to pay to get it as he said he would.
The days are slow and I am expecting more. I got paid and put as much money against the visas and other bills. I have some money in the bank with the good potential of more coming in shortly. I want more but I do not know what more is.
I miss playing squash with Warren for both the physical and mental relief it brings me.
There will be a lot more traffic on the weekend and the deals will be made. John and Cam are moving ahead on his deal so that should come together this month.
Louise, Susan's sister is quite disturbed with Susan not continuing her smoking cessation. It is her problem brought about by her mother's passing away from lung problems. Bob is doing well with his back problems since he is continuing to do the therapy that is necessary to help get his back into shape.
I expect the weather to be great on Friday, so I hope to get in a game of golf so that I will give Derek a good game next week when we play.
Peter, Everett and Warren will be away on Thursday, Hector will be the only one around this week so the meeting will be small.
The October time frame for a depression is upon me so I will have to be careful in how I conduct myself and how I think of things. It is quite different then at this time last year when I was nearing the end of my employment income. I was in a good situation and was starting to come to the conclusion that I would not get a job in the aviation industry and would consider it only as a hobby and personal entertainment. “This is a good thing” as Martha would say.
The price of laptop computers has come down again this fall with a Compaq 12111 at $1600. I will still wait and get some tires for the car so I will not have any trouble with the ice and snow that is to come soon. Mother was in a good mood when I chatted with her a couple of days ago. I have an appointment with the dentist to get my teeth cleaned on Thursday. The news should be good as I have been taking care of them much better than I have over the past many years.
My current computer is continuing to be frustratingly slow but perhaps it is how it is configured and not really the speed of the unit.
Oh well I will have to deal with it as it exists. I really am not going anywhere fast.

Thursday, Oct. 4 Saturday, Oct 6 clear, sunny and colm+18
A lovely fall day.
Thursday was slow with the traffic just looking if they came in at all. The weather was cold with a strong wind that had winter in the air.
Hector showed up for the group with everyone else away busy with work.
Friday was a lovely fall day with clear skies and a temperature of +18. I went golfing at River Ridge with some members and enjoyed the day. I continued to work on my game and I am quite happy with the way it is progressing. The long club will drive the ball straight if I stand closer to the ball and hit it off the heel of the club. I was still light with the putter and not getting the ball to the hole. The wedge worked well and I will continue to improve with it. I will try to go back this week and also get in a game with Derek at the Goose.
I took in a movie in the evening as Susan was busy seeing Anne and enjoying dinner. She is meeting with her cousins tonight. I am invited to Pat and L's for dinner on Sunday and then to Susan's for steak on Monday. She is doing what she wants to do and I am getting on with my life. The turmoil at her home is creating a new life style for her and she will have to come to terms with it. I am confident that she will be able to come to terms with what she wants to do. I will stay out of it for the moment.
Warren called Saturday morning to say he was back and to arrange a squash game. We played for 45 minutes and were done in when our time was up. Two weeks slowed us down a little but we will get back into it and work our way back over the next month.
The boys are fine with Cory not too concerned about not working. The work he is doing for Greg is enough for him at the moment. He had a discussion with the labor guy about his dismissal and said that his firing denied his employment insurance claim. It is up to him to come to whatever conclusion he wants in this area. He said Dana is OK but had not talked to him for a couple of days.
Of course, I had just left on Monday and I talked to him on Wednesday so nothing much had happened. I chatted with Gillian who was glad that 95% went well but was displeased that the 5% (her hair) was not in control during the day according to Mrs. Newfeld. She is sounding very needy.
I am working my way through Susan's busy schedule else where and her distance from me.
It is October so I am aware of the feelings that are just under the surface. I will keep busy and do things that are in my best interest. She will do the same. I think that Luke's new direction is causing her more stress than Holly's changes.
Traffic is slow on Saturday even though the weather is very nice. Perhaps later on in the day the people will start coming in. The people may be out shopping for the Thanksgiving turkey and all the other related food stuffs.
I think that I will drop by a Casino tonight for a short time and enjoys the sights and sounds of the people and the tables. Who knows I may even gamble a little and play the black jack games.

Sunday, Oct. 7 clear and sunny +16, Monday, thanksgiving day, clear , sunny +15
Sunday was a quiet day with only a little traffic.
I went over to Pat and L's for supper with Susan, her dad and Luke. It was pleasant evening.
I drove Susan back to her place and visited with Holly and Mathew after which I went home and watched some T.V.
I discussed Cory's phone call with Susan even though I was not going to. He and Gillian had a discussion around her perception that he was not in an equal relationship with me. She was out of line with what she said to him but I left it up to him to refute her statement and he did.
I talked to both he and Dana in separate phone calls Sunday evening. They are both doing well and I will leave it up to them to get through their lives. The money will stop and Dana will have to touch his mother or someone else for short term help. I do not know what Cory will do but he will make some decisions that he will learn by and focus his life on.
My work is going well and I am going to stop feeling that things are to happen quickly. The past few months have been good with the promise of Cam before the end of the month. Kimberly may even show up one day and say her home has been sold.
Money is not a problem and won't be for a long time. The traffic on Monday has been getting better as the day has progressed. Several good leads have come my way.
If the weather is good on Tuesday I will slip down to River Ridge and get a game of golf in before I go to work. Hopefully Derek will call to arrange a game before the end of the week. He is probably all golfed out after spending time in the mountains and golfing.
The evening spent at the Casino was fun and profitable. The dollar slots were paying well with the $3 turns. The roulette was a bust with none of my numbers coming even close to the winning number. I had a good time with good luck at Blackjack and got up and cashed in with a considerable amount of money. I gassed up the car on expensive gas at cheap gas prices and had a late evening supper complements of the Casino.
It is strange to have disposable cash on hand. Tomorrow, grocery shopping in a big way and some laundry.
The computer and the sofa can wait for a while.
I wonder if and what Gillian will say about the discussion that she had with Cory. I doubt that she will mention it at all, which would be a good thing.
If the weather holds, I should get out and do some flying to keep my hand in the thick of things.
A lunch with Carol and Gloria on Friday is something that I cannot forget if they can make it. A small consideration for all the work they do behind the scenes. Susan R's last day of work was on Friday. Now she gets to stay home and be with her granddaughter and daughter. The change will be interesting with Fred's reaction to the spending of money and who controls it. She will get him to spend more time at home and in her company so that they have a better quality of life.
Tuesday, Oct 9, Saturday, Oct. 13, very windy 45 km. +9
The week has been quiet.
Susan came over last night after I got home from having supper with Jim and Mother. Jim called in the afternoon to say that he was in Leduc loading for a trip to Calgary. I got hold of Mother and we met for supper at the Saratoga. Had a good conversation with him and then he was off to Calgary for the evening. He is not working too hard with only a few trips to Vancouver every two weeks. His son is handling all the Calgary traffic. Jim said that Quentin is doing well.
Carol and Gloria did not come out for lunch with me on Friday so I got a haircut and did some shopping for a winter coat. I found one at Mountain Equipment coop. I will get it later on when the cold weather comes into Alberta. I have to get some winter tires for the car in the next month.
Everyone was at the group meeting on Thursday.
Hector caught us up on his dating ritual and the females in his life. He is doing a great deal of e-mailing with a female call Veronica. Warren told us about his good trip to his nephew’s wedding overseas and how well his computer program is coming. He also refreshed our memory about Jeff and his return to his wife, Victoria. He felt Jeff was doing it for the tradition of the family not because he really was in love with her. Warren felt that Jeff would like Nora be at the plane to meet him instead of Victoria. Oh well. Peter and Linette are getting along very well now that he has backed off and not being as anxious about her working so much in the afternoon and the evenings. Their trip to Australia with the side trip to Indonesia is being revised because of the conflict and the majority of Muslims in those countries. Everett has taken Louise out to lunch several times and is planning a trip to Jasper when time permits. He is very aware of over extending himself in work time tables and such. The meeting was a good one. I suggested contacting Dr. Tom for a supper meeting before Christmas.
I contacted Melvina and several possible clients about the price increase for the spring and the possibility of their fixing the building price by starting the process this fall. They were all open to this idea.
Susan took the day off on Friday because of the frustration that is building up in the office. She took some time to get a massage and spent the day relaxing. I put a lock on the side gate at her home so Mathew could not let the dog out. Holly was very impressed and told her mother what I had done.
Mother said that Gillian has been calling quite a bit over the week and is trying to extend the energy and hype of the wedding and the party held in Toronto. She was happy that mother was able to see the photos of the party. Gillian has had several discussions with Cory about her perception of his participation in her dinners with her friends. Cory has basically let this roll off his back, except for calling me and expressing his frustration with Gillian's lack of understanding. I told him that he is an adult as she is and to treat this as something between them. I was not a referee.
Cheryl had a good weekend golfing at Vegreville with her guy and her son. Derek came over to Mother's with Anya and Taneen and their two children to meet with Mother and get the pillows that she had decorated for them. Mother was very pleased. Scott is traveling to the States to play hockey for a low level team in Michigan and Andrew is welding in Fort Mac.
Susan said that Fred spent a week at home recently to spend some time with his wife and to get a break from work. Good for him. The balance will be good when he achieves it.
Dana called last night but I did not answer the call since I was with Susan. We checked the number by using star 69. His birthday is on Monday and I am in the process of sending him a card and money for a beer.