Well, on Monday I left home at 6:30 in the morning for my work placement. It was cold and dark as I drove along the highway listening to the radio. I noticed some faint strips of colour in the sky just before 7:00 and was looking forward to seeing some sunshine for my 2 hour drive. Sunday night I was mentioning to my husband that part of me just did not want to go in the morning. The weekends are just way to short and I am really missing the kids. In a week I will be starting my 4 week placement and I plan on commuting so that I can be home every night. It is just so important to me to be home and tuck in the kids!
Anyway, I’m moving down the highway when suddenly in a flash I see the head of a deer in front of me. It all happened so quickly I had no time to react so the deer hit the front right corner of my car. I don’t think I swerved or even hit the breaks – it all happened in an instant. Of course, after that the panic set in.
I continued to drive my car because I didn’t want to pull over in the dark, I didn’t want to see the deer, and I didn’t know what to do! As my husband tried to calm me down on the cell phone (hands free, yes) I noticed that there was a new sound coming from the front wheel that shouldn’t be there. I began to realize that maybe there was some damage to my car. I suppose that happens when a deer collides with your vehicle traveling at 80 kph. At the next town I pulled over to discover that the hood, grill, passenger door and right fender were all damaged. Then the shock probably kicked in a bit more!
I phoned CAA (finally get to use them!) and the woman on the phone was really nice. She asked if I was ok and notified the police. She talked with me for a while to keep my company and I know she was trying to ease my mind with idle chatter. I appreciated it. After that I waited for the police to complete the report and eventually was driven back home with the tow truck.
What an ordeal! I have never had an experience like that and hope I never do again. It was very frightening.
So, this morning I had to leave the house at 5:00 and drive back to the city. I was a little reluctant to leave the house and was very nervous as I drove down the same black highway. I think I breathed a sigh of relief as I passed the dreaded spot but I still had both hands on the wheel and my eyes constantly checked the shoulders!
It could have been much worse. I had some specials angels watching out for me. But it does make you realize how a life can change drastically in the blink of an eye – actually, shorter than that. I think I’ll drive a bit slower from now on…
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Halfway There
Well, I am 6 weeks into the program at teacher’s college. In some ways, it has really flown by. I look at the calendar and realize how close we really are to Christmas and reaching the half-way point in this adventure.
I miss my family terribly when I am away, but we can do this. My school placement begins in a couple of weeks and I am really looking forward to that. I will be in a town that is a bit closer to home so I will be able to commute every day. I can leave at 6:30 in the morning and be home by 6:00pm. That’s not bad. Some people have a schedule like that all the time. I was mentioning this new schedule to my son and he still thought I would be getting home late. Yep, it is late in his eyes. For most of his life I have been home in the morning when he leaves for school and I am there when he returns. Not many people have a schedule like that any more. That is one perk of self-employment: you have more control of your schedule and can fit in the work around family life. However, it also means that you are working in the evenings, early in the morning and on weekends. I must admit that I am looking forward to a more regular schedule as a teacher.
Thanksgiving weekend was awesome. It was so nice to have an extra day at home to spend with my family. We went to my parent’s for supper and didn’t have to rush away to get everyone to bed for school the next day. I like it when we don’t have to rush.
Tuesday morning I was up at my usual early hour and got ready for my drive. It’s still hard to drive away and look at the house where everyone is sound asleep. I miss not being there for them when they wake up.
My husband is doing a great job, I must admit, at keeping on top of the schedules and meals and actually, he’s even keeping the house tidy. It does save a lot of worry to know that they are getting along ok. But then again, he’s the guy and he’s not supposed to multi-task. That’s my job! Oh well, I guess I’ll let him continue to run the household – but only until the end of April and then it’s my job again.
I miss my family terribly when I am away, but we can do this. My school placement begins in a couple of weeks and I am really looking forward to that. I will be in a town that is a bit closer to home so I will be able to commute every day. I can leave at 6:30 in the morning and be home by 6:00pm. That’s not bad. Some people have a schedule like that all the time. I was mentioning this new schedule to my son and he still thought I would be getting home late. Yep, it is late in his eyes. For most of his life I have been home in the morning when he leaves for school and I am there when he returns. Not many people have a schedule like that any more. That is one perk of self-employment: you have more control of your schedule and can fit in the work around family life. However, it also means that you are working in the evenings, early in the morning and on weekends. I must admit that I am looking forward to a more regular schedule as a teacher.
Thanksgiving weekend was awesome. It was so nice to have an extra day at home to spend with my family. We went to my parent’s for supper and didn’t have to rush away to get everyone to bed for school the next day. I like it when we don’t have to rush.
Tuesday morning I was up at my usual early hour and got ready for my drive. It’s still hard to drive away and look at the house where everyone is sound asleep. I miss not being there for them when they wake up.
My husband is doing a great job, I must admit, at keeping on top of the schedules and meals and actually, he’s even keeping the house tidy. It does save a lot of worry to know that they are getting along ok. But then again, he’s the guy and he’s not supposed to multi-task. That’s my job! Oh well, I guess I’ll let him continue to run the household – but only until the end of April and then it’s my job again.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Birthdays On The Road
Yesterday my son celebrated another teenage birthday. Now, I know because he is a teenager, I’m not allowed to put up balloons, hide candy, and play pin the tail on the donkey. However, it’s still an amazingly special day that I refuse to miss.
You see we have some traditions that cannot be left out. In the morning, the birthday-ee is honoured with breakfast in bed, is allowed to open one gift, and then waits impatiently through the entire day of school before opening more gifts and having supper with cake.
I also make sure that I videotape the birthday recipient in the morning in bed, at supper having some cake, and at the end of the day when tucked into bed. I have official birthday tapes that I build on each year. It’s fun to go back and see how much they’ve changed from year to year. And with boys, it is especially strange to hear their voice change from a boy to a man in a matter of a second.
Anyway, the morning of his birthday I had to leave early to go to a school event, but fortunately, I did not have to be on the road at my usual 5am. He asked me to wake him before I left at 6:30, so I came in the video camera and recorded a sleepy boy. I wished him well and then hit the road.
Little did he know, that I had secretly hidden sticky notes throughout the house to wish him more congratulatory messages! I put one in his shoe, the mirror, on the inside of the toilet seat,… you get the picture. I even put one in his lunch with a $2 coin instructing him to treat himself to something at lunch. Now that he’s in high school, it’s fun to buy food some times! I thought this would keep him entertained until I arrived home after school.
Because I was away all day, I was unable to make him a cake, or even prepare his favourite supper. So, he picked his restaurant of choice – Chinese – and I bought a Dairy Queen cake. Somehow buying a cake from DQ reduces the guilt. They say it’s a special treat, ok?
He opened his gifts, had a yummy dinner, ate the cake, (did some homework – how dare those teachers plan a test for the next day. Don’t they know??), and got tucked into bed for the official taping of bedtime.
All in all, I would say it was a successful birthday even if I was on the road.
You see we have some traditions that cannot be left out. In the morning, the birthday-ee is honoured with breakfast in bed, is allowed to open one gift, and then waits impatiently through the entire day of school before opening more gifts and having supper with cake.
I also make sure that I videotape the birthday recipient in the morning in bed, at supper having some cake, and at the end of the day when tucked into bed. I have official birthday tapes that I build on each year. It’s fun to go back and see how much they’ve changed from year to year. And with boys, it is especially strange to hear their voice change from a boy to a man in a matter of a second.
Anyway, the morning of his birthday I had to leave early to go to a school event, but fortunately, I did not have to be on the road at my usual 5am. He asked me to wake him before I left at 6:30, so I came in the video camera and recorded a sleepy boy. I wished him well and then hit the road.
Little did he know, that I had secretly hidden sticky notes throughout the house to wish him more congratulatory messages! I put one in his shoe, the mirror, on the inside of the toilet seat,… you get the picture. I even put one in his lunch with a $2 coin instructing him to treat himself to something at lunch. Now that he’s in high school, it’s fun to buy food some times! I thought this would keep him entertained until I arrived home after school.
Because I was away all day, I was unable to make him a cake, or even prepare his favourite supper. So, he picked his restaurant of choice – Chinese – and I bought a Dairy Queen cake. Somehow buying a cake from DQ reduces the guilt. They say it’s a special treat, ok?
He opened his gifts, had a yummy dinner, ate the cake, (did some homework – how dare those teachers plan a test for the next day. Don’t they know??), and got tucked into bed for the official taping of bedtime.
All in all, I would say it was a successful birthday even if I was on the road.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Living In My Car
The first week of school, one of my classmates made the joke that I was living in my car. It was funny at the time because I had my laundry bag in the back, a box of cereal and a cooler full of food. I think one guy actually thought that I was living in my car. It would be possible, but thanks to my cousin, I have a great place to stay while at school.
As the weeks continue, I realize how much time I really do spend in my car. It’s sort of becoming an extension to where ever I am living at that moment. I use it to store things, relax in, eat my lunch, work in, and of course, move me to where I need to be. Here’s an example of life in my car:
Tuesday morning I was really tired for my early morning drive. I arrived to school at 7:15. 45 minutes to spare to that gave me time to relax and get organized before school. However, I decided to recline my seat and have a little nap. Not a good idea. It’s amazing how comfortable a car seat can become when you are really tired. I fell sound asleep. Lucky for me I woke up minutes before class. Next time I’ll have to set my alarm!
Each week I bring a cooler back and forth with my food. It’s actually really handy and I can come out at break to have some cold water or fresh fruit. I fell a bit like a construction worker, but hey, they are on to something because it’s a great idea! I keep my bag in the car for the Y, too, so after my swim, I lay out the towel to dry in the back.
I think you’re getting the picture. If people didn’t know the real story, it’d be totally believable to think that I was living in my car.
Last weekend I was in a hurry to get home and get at my homework when I met up with a funeral procession. The car in front of me had pulled over, out of respect, and I did the same. We waited for a few minutes as the long procession slowly moved along the street. At their sad time, it is a valuable reminder for the rest of us to stop and show our respect but to also remember that life is too short and we need to savour every moment that we have been given. Do they do this in the big cities? I can’t imagine people pulling over, but maybe they do.
Life is busy as we move from here to there. Let’s make sure we enjoy the ride.
As the weeks continue, I realize how much time I really do spend in my car. It’s sort of becoming an extension to where ever I am living at that moment. I use it to store things, relax in, eat my lunch, work in, and of course, move me to where I need to be. Here’s an example of life in my car:
Tuesday morning I was really tired for my early morning drive. I arrived to school at 7:15. 45 minutes to spare to that gave me time to relax and get organized before school. However, I decided to recline my seat and have a little nap. Not a good idea. It’s amazing how comfortable a car seat can become when you are really tired. I fell sound asleep. Lucky for me I woke up minutes before class. Next time I’ll have to set my alarm!
Each week I bring a cooler back and forth with my food. It’s actually really handy and I can come out at break to have some cold water or fresh fruit. I fell a bit like a construction worker, but hey, they are on to something because it’s a great idea! I keep my bag in the car for the Y, too, so after my swim, I lay out the towel to dry in the back.
I think you’re getting the picture. If people didn’t know the real story, it’d be totally believable to think that I was living in my car.
Last weekend I was in a hurry to get home and get at my homework when I met up with a funeral procession. The car in front of me had pulled over, out of respect, and I did the same. We waited for a few minutes as the long procession slowly moved along the street. At their sad time, it is a valuable reminder for the rest of us to stop and show our respect but to also remember that life is too short and we need to savour every moment that we have been given. Do they do this in the big cities? I can’t imagine people pulling over, but maybe they do.
Life is busy as we move from here to there. Let’s make sure we enjoy the ride.
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