My first day of not working. It feels great. I have taken the boys to school, done the dishes (by hand), packed two suitcases for the trip to Houston, cleared the storage room downstairs and it's 9.45a.m. What do people do with themselves when they retire? I think I'll volunteer with Greenpeace again and sail the South Pacific this time. Hopefully, that's still a ways away though.

The picture I have added here is Harrison Lake in Canada. I spent a wonderful girls weekend away with 3 super colleagues & (I hope still) good friends from Weyerhaeuser. Why do I say "I hope still" good friends? Well, I am going to fast forward for a moment to explain. Yesterday the boys and I biked 6 miles down to the Chittendon Locks in Ballard. Same old locks, but they have been around since 1907 and were actually quite impressive. Water up, water down. hundreds of boats waiting to go in and go out, since it was actually above 75 degrees yesterday, that's 22 celsius for my european friends. Anyway, all four of us started to cross over the passenger bridge to the other side when one of the dockside Captains yelled to clear the bridge. I was in the front and not quite halfway across. I immediately turned around and said c'mon, we'd better hurry!
I then proceeded to jog across. When I reached the other side and the alarm signal started to go off to clear the pedestrian traffic, I turned for Angus and saw that Jeroen had brought them back to the other side. When I asked Jeroen later why he didn't continue on, he said he didn't think he'd make it. That never even entered my mind. I knew I would; simple as that. Time for a quiet epiphany I thought. Life is not usually easy for me. I am the overachiever trying so hard to please a world of folk who, for the most part, are not. I get that. I accept it. The problem in my life has always been getting others to accept this.

Let's go back to the weekend. 4 very smart and more or less successful women. 4 very different women with me being, and this is not usual for me, the most liberal and least conservative of the bunch. I realized this weekend that many little things I take for granted, shouldn't be. I also realized, yet again, that people are so very complex, yet products of their environment. I believe strongly that people who travel are also more open for conflict and other views of life; this was also validated this weekend. I have always wondered how people can be so sure of themselves and so certain of their views when they lead secular lives? I try to understand that, but have come to acknowledge and I think accept that those are not the people I can be around. I just don't get it. The problem now comes in. I have also learned that it is very possible and in my case highly probable to care very much for such people. Feelings have no basis in fact and that is absolute.

A discussion arose this weekend concerning the church and how this last year as parishioner's at Liam & Angus's school has absolutely convinced Jeroen of his Atheism. I must admit that the few times I went, I also felt a fake, just by sitting there.

Where do we draw the line? Almost everyone we have met this past year was fantastic. They almost all believe exclusively that Jesus is their savior and that the Church is a good thing. How is it possible that I am able to have drinks, barbecues, auctions, etc... with them and enjoy myself when I completely disavow everything they believe in? How are they able to do the same with a non-congregational Jew who still is not sure that her traditional jewish values hold water?

Christian: I have Jesus in my heart. I'm sorry to hear that. I can't help you but I believe they're working on a cure. Christian: No, I don't need to be cured, I have come to save you. Ahh... That bad eh. It may be terminal then. Christian: Do you believe in God? Nope. I've been clean for 15 years. Now if only I could get rid of all my other addictions.

Is it truly hypocritical or is it something new that globalization has brought along, enabling us all to work & live together more in harmony? Should it be like this? I think the mormons are killing this country. I don't think believing in an Alien creator and not drinking coke gives them a leg up. However, there is no denying that you or I have yet to meet a mormon on Welfare and I dare say not many of the homeless are of that sect. That could be because they kill them off behind the closed doors of their temples that we common non-mormon folk are not allowed into...who would know, right? Who would care actually? I mean one Mitt Romney is enough, right?

Anyway, I do not mean to sound callous, but wait a second, maybe I do? That's my conundrum this week for sure. When have I said enough and when do I need to say it all?

Next Monday, I start my new job and like any good soldier I will start out not quite as heated as usual, taking in the lay of the land before I start trying to change the world...again. I guess as long as I do not give up actually trying to change the world, to better the world as much as I can, I will be happy. I only hope I do not alienate too many people along the way...or do I actually hope that at all?