2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit the tourist town of Puerto Plata. I figured after two decades, now, was a good time to share my experience of what it was like to be a tourist in the epicenter of it all. The island of Hispaniola is home to Haiti and …
Continue reading What’s it Like to be in a Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake? Remembering Puerto Plata 2003
Ok, ok, so I’m related to the Royal Family, no need to get all excited … so is pretty much everyone with any amount of Anglo-Saxon blood. If you're new to my blog, I write a lot on my genealogy and, in light of Prince Andrew's latest Royal scandal, I thought I'd blog about that. …
Continue reading On Genealogy: His Royal Highness, Prince Andrew, Duke of York & Me
You wouldn't know it was a cold war fallout bunker, especially when on the front of the building there's a sign that reads Kitchener-Waterloo Rowing on the front of it. I’ve lived here all my life, but for a few years, and had I not known of its existence from stories, I’d be none the …
This is an update to genealogy blog #4 which featured my great grand father, Émile Lamothe, whom I called grand-pépère Lamothe (original blog has been deleted). It was originally posted on June 3, 2017 and I’ve since come across some new photos and information that I want to document and update his story. Cleophas Émile Lamothe (he …
Continue reading On Genealogy: The Life of WWI Pte. Émile Lamothe
I was driving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (say that 10 times fast) to visit some friends. As I traveled down Highway 16, about 55 km on the other side of Yorkton (from Manitoba) when a domed roof of an old Ukrainian Orthodox church peek out on the right side just over the horizon. It was fairly …
Continue reading Urbex: The Little Ghost Town of Insinger, Saskatchewan
It is the JFK assassination of my generation. It's like asking where were you when Elvis died. An event so big that it defines a generation. So significant and relevant that no matter what else you may forget in your lifetime, this event is forever etched in your brain. September 11, 2001 was the day …
There were few staples in Churchill that I stuck to in addition to eating in, mainly because they were conveniently located close to my B&B ... and they were open. It's a small town, things close early also capacity and hours vary due to the current COVID-19 state. So without further ado, let's check out the …
There are so many adventures to be had in this little town of less than 1,000 …. take in as many as you POSSIBLY CAN … you don’t wanna miss a thing. I stayed for 5 nights and I still had things I wasn't able to do that I wanted to ... I guess that …
Continue reading On Travel: Exploring The Marvels of Churchill, Manitoba!
Churchill, Manitoba is as close to a frontier town as there is in Canada. Churchill is Manitoba’s northernmost community, and is located where the boreal forest meets the tundra, on the shores of Hudson Bay, bordering the newest Canadian territory of Nunavut. The town sits on a narrow point of land bound by the ocean …
Continue reading On Travel: Last Stop, Churchill – My Journey to the Far North
After three quarters of a century in the Cambridge area of Waterloo Region, the pins fell for the last time at this bowling alley on May 7, 2017. The longtime family business sold the land to a developer, who plans to build apartments. The developer ran into financial problems and the site has been …
Continue reading Urbex: Exploration of an Abandoned Bowling Alley
It has been a hot minute since I’ve posted … I’ve been embroiled in a landlord/tenant matter, wherein I repossessed my home from crappy tenants and have spent the better part of the last 6 weeks renovating it - they left it in such a shambles (ugh) … I’ll post on that separately, they completely …
Continue reading Urbex: The Ongoing Story of the Eccentric Pastor Lee House
Before getting into the meat of this post, it’s important to understand blood typing. Interestingly, 85% of the world’s population are Rh+ and only 15% are Rh-. Most of us don’t know our blood type (if you don’t, I strongly encourage you to find out, it’s so important, especially if you require a blood transfusion). …
Continue reading Rh- Alien Blood,Royal Blue Bloods and My Linage to King John I
In the words of sexy hotness, Matthew McConaughey, "alright alright alright". It's been a hot minute since I've posted ... so I just want to bring you all up to date on the current lay of the land -> the status of my year long adventure to South East Asia, the COVID-19 pandemic and the …
I've been nursing a flu/cold since last Thursday. And, while I feel much better than I did at the onset, I leave on my 12 month adventure in 2.5 months and my health is one of the only things that matter to me at the moment. I need to be in top health before I …
Continue reading My Journey Through The World of Functional Medicine Pt 3
Today we venture into part deux of my journey to restoring good health. Since I last updated you, I've received the results of two things: the blood work that my medical doctor requested to investigate my level of fatigue i.e. I have had significant anemia in the past and he queried my thyroid function. …
Continue reading My Journey Through The World of Functional Medicine Pt 2
“You have the life you're willing to put up with". Think about it, what are the problems of those heinous dark shadows currently spoiling the warmth and happiness of your otherwise blissful life? 🎯 Do you hate your job? 🎯 Are you in a bad relationship? 🎯 Is there something wrong with your health? Fine! Get a new …
Continue reading You Have the Life You’re Willing to Put Up With
I spent last weekend in New York City (NYC), I was attending a leaders course in Manhattan with 350 of the eastern seaboard's most brilliant, inspirational beings, like no kidding - this powerful group is up to big things! While we were out and about enjoying our lunch break, we spent some time walking about …
Continue reading What’s The Connection Between INTEGRITY and LITTERING?
I really hope you've all been awesome and living your best lives! I just got in not too long ago from dinner with one of my good friend's who is home for a visit from Japan - she and her family moved there 2 years ago on a work assignment and I haven't been able …
It's Monday night, I just competed my coaching call, did some work, just finished some research on a new project I'm working on .... and about 5 days ago I finished a 3 day JUICE CLEANSE ... I've done juice cleanses in the past, but, honestly it's been a hot minute since I did my …
IT'S DAY 10/10 and I could keep going with my list of gratitudes ... but I'll wrap the posts at 10, as promised. Randy Travis wrote a song years ago called My Heart Cracked ... some of the lyrics go: Shattered dreams, lay everywhere Broken promises, are all we share I finally took, all I …
Continue reading 10 days of gratitude: day 10 – MY BIG BEAUTIFUL HEART!
Today's blog is going to be quick and very to the point ... I woke up, felt the warm sun on my face after a long winter, I see the trees trying to bloom their first leaves ... and it hit me, I'm grateful for THAT! I simple act of nature, and I'm grateful for …
.... we all make them, non intentional - oversights. Today I focus on being grateful for my mistakes Made perhaps via clouded judgment, your perspective of the world, opening your mouth when you should have thought beforehand or that stupid phone call or text. WE ALL MAKE THEM AND GUESS WHAT YOU'LL MAKE MORE ... …
This morning I woke up, made my tea with my shiny red kettle, poured it into my large Starbucks mug, sat in my lovely sea-foam green chair in my lovely new condominium, with my MacBook Air to write this blog. After which, I will put on my Canada Goose jacket and Ralph Lauren boots and …
Continue reading 10 days of gratitude: day 6 – MY BELONGINGS!
I'm 1/2 way through my 10 days of gratitude with this post! It hasn't been hard at all finding things to be grateful for ... Post #5 is about the people in my life who have had an impact, in ways some people have no idea that they even have. Some people are just so …
Ok, we are onto day 4 TODAY, I have so many things to be grateful for - we all do - we just have to take stock of everything little thing - things don't always have to move mountains to be significant enough to be grateful for - in fact for me it's quite the …
Continue reading 10 days of gratitude: day 4 – MY CHARACTER!
How are we feeling today for Day 3 of our 10 days of GRATITUDE? Today's #3 can certainly be difficult to think of in gratitude especially when we're down in the dumps, we've had our heart broken, lost a loved one or even got passed over for a job we really wanted. #3 takes a …
Continue reading 10 days of gratitude: day 3 – MY SITUATION!
Welcome to day 2 of practicing gratitude ... Thanks for joining me along my gratitude journey. It always feels more productive for me to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys in this case). There's obviously a reason counsellors will suggest journalling, it just feels good to get it out there! I've been practicing …
I've been trying to figure out what to write about next. I wasn't into researching any more on my family tree. But, I have been spending some time determining what I wanted to do the first month of my move to SEAsia (next year - woo hoo!). Enter INDIA, I have been wanting to spend …
I've been back from Vietnam for about 2 weeks now. I have to admit it's been tough being back - to the cold, the snow, back to working 9-5, not traveling ... Today I want to share a little about my overall experience in Vietnam. What I loved, things I wished I had done and …
Continue reading On Travel: Vietnam – What I Loved and Didn’t Love
My Better Life 