June's bliss

I was fishing at the Clearwater yesterday afternoon when a trio of young ladies came floating in on their  inflatables.  As they got closer I realized that it was Misty, Jenn and Amanda - three fellow Farnsworth cast members.  They got out of the water and began trying to figure out their next move, as their vehicle was in a different location up river.  I wandered over to say hello and to offer assistance.    They didn't need my help as it turned out, but something Amanda said really stuck with me.

"There is nowhere else on earth I'd rather be right now," she said, reflecting on an idyllic day.

I felt the same way, sitting on the shore of this heritage river on an amazing afternoon, 25 degrees, slight breeze blowing, not a mosquito or gnat in sight.  It was an absolutely perfect day, providing an outdoor leisure setting that is the stuff of exotic tourism ads.

Ben and I are on our own, with Heather at a 4-day workshop in Calgary and Dylan spending time with his mom in Fort McKay.  For Ben and I, it's been a time of re-connecting after a rather elongated stretch of long work days and too many commitments.

He was thrilled to finally get his birthday present on Friday - an electric guitar and amp kit.  He is going through a strong music phase at the moment, spending hours at the keyboard or entertaining with his harmonica.  We hope that the addition of this instrument will inspire him to seek lessons, and take his love of music to a new level.

Meanwhile, Dylan discovered a gift of his own making recently.  He went to the year-end dance at his school a week ago.  Heather bought him a fresh white dress shirt and I slipped on one of my ties.

"Are you going to dance?" I asked as I dropped him off at the front door.

"No, but I'm still going to have fun," he said.

Three hours later I picked him up and found out that his night of "not dancing" didn't quite go as planned.

Mr. Gray, his home room teacher, shared with me that at one point Dylan was flat out on the floor of the classroom.

"Exhausted," said Mr. Gray.  "He really needed to catch his breath."

"How was your night?" I asked as Dylan got in the car.

"Incredible," he said.  "I danced all night long."

The smile on his face was worth a million bucks.

I had been asked by my friend Rick, a pastor at the Gospel Assembly Church, if I would be willing to drop in for five minutes to say a few words to a group of 25 high school graduates during a celebration they were organizing in their honour as part of their youth ministry.  As it wouldn't be a huge commitment of time, I said "sure" and began scrawling down a few notes on the evening's theme which was "Success".  The five minutes he first requested quickly faded into the sunset as he asked if I would stretch my piece out to 15 minutes - he really liked the direction I was heading after reading my notes.

My speech, which you can read in its entirety here, boiled down to three ideas that have contributed to my success: 1) Any job worth doing is worth doing well, 2) Embrace failure, and 3) Listen to the wind.  It seemed to go over well and Ben was able to recall two out of the three ideas 24 hours later, which meant that he was listening.

"What did you mean when you said that any job worth doing, is worth doing well?" he asked out of the blue from the back seat as we were driving yesterday.

I tried to explain that no matter the task, you could choose to give it 100% effort or a lackluster one, both are going to take time and energy, so you may as well do the best job you possibly can.  Unfortunately, I don't have a specific memory of how and when I made this mental switch, but for some reason painting the chimney comes into my head - a task that dad had given me in the summer of 1982 or 83.

Technology is amazing.  We have been able to stay in touch with Heather quite effectively using something called Facetime, where she talks into her iPad and we talk into my iPhone.  We have been married almost 10 years and have never been overly fond of communicating by phone, choosing that method only when we absolutely had to.  But this Facetime experience is quite lovely, personal and cost-effective when we're on a WiFi network - not sure what the fees would be like if we were using 3G?

Technology has also fundamentally changed how we engage with music, movies, books and television.  We still maintain basic cable service, but with each passing day I wonder why, as we no longer use it.  Claude and Tiffany kindly gave us AppleTV as a thank you gift when they stayed with us this spring.  From watching YouTube videos to accessing our music library thanks to iCloud to watching Netflix, it has supplanted regular TV in a way I never would have thought possible.  We could be watching a TV show or movie on Netflix, get tired in the middle, shut if off, go to bed, and return to that exact same spot the next day  with one click.  And of course, all of the offerings are commercial free.  The fact that the cost is a mere $8 per month is mind-boggling.

I'm a little sore sitting here typing this morning.  There is a stiffness in my neck and shoulders, and a large red splotch on my diaphragm, both remnants of my first road hockey experience in 30 years.

I had been asked to play in the Celebrity Game of HNIC's Play On! 4 on 4 street hockey tournament. Ben and I walked over to the site, stretched down the entire length of the road leading into MacDonald Island - 10 rinks set off by fencing, bright and colourful advertising, and 74 teams at the ready to compete.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect.  Was this Celebrity Game going to be a faux-effort or was it going to be the real deal.  All I knew is that I had been "drafted" by Bobbi-Jo Slusar, a female hockey phenom hailing from Swift Current, and that we would be facing Team Hayley Wickenheiser, led by another Saskatchewan product and arguably, one of the most lauded female hockey players in the world.

From the moment the orange street hockey ball was dropped to the closing whistle 30 minutes later, it became abundantly clear that both sides were going for gold.  All I can say is thank goodness we had enough guys and ladies for three full shifts because after just a few minutes, many of us needed to tap out.

Mike Allen, our newly elected MLA and former Council colleague said to me in between shifts "didn't anyone tell them we're the arts guys?"  I thought that was a sage question, as I was doubled over trying to catch my breath.

I didn't score any goals, but I gave it a 100% effort and managed to pop off three or four legitimate shots on goal in one shift, making the goalie earn his keep.  Our team lost, but we were still awesome!

As we stare into the face of summer, we are gearing up to return to Saskatchewan for a few weeks.  We'll swing through the province, spending time with family in Kamsack, before darting into Manitoba to visit Heather's grandparents in Winnipeg.  We'll come back through Kamsack on the way to the Meadow Lake area where we'll meet up with the Wagner side of the family for our annual summer camping reunion.

Dylan is going to enjoy his first substantial taste of independence in August, attending the Take Action Academy at a camp in the foothills near Calgary.  Organized by the Me to We organization, the camp
participants come from across the globe, and spend their academy week learning leadership skills, exploring pressing global issues, volunteering in the local community and taking their place within a worldwide social movement of globally-conscious young people. They also build incredible friendships to last a lifetime. (taken directly from the website)

While Dylan explores his leadership capacity and makes new friends, Heather and Ben are going to do some camping and mountain climbing.  I think they are both excited to get in the great outdoors and spend quality time together.

I'll be sticking close to home, attending interPLAY and tackling the upstairs bathroom.  My plan is to strip out the cabinets, give it a good painting, and install tile baseboards.  My chance to "camp" will come at the end of the summer, as I travel to near Orillia, Ontario to attend Mindcamp, a four-day micro-university for personal, professional, and organizational creativity — a feast of 90-minute and half-day concurrent sessions presented by the best creativity leaders in North America and world-wide. (from the website)

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since I last connected through the Wood Buffalo Update.  The daily goings on are often captured on my other blog, now with a new address (http://www.middleagebulge.com).  A couple of postings that you might find interesting include 500 - my 500th article in 2.5 years, 45 - reflections on growing older, and In Praise of Stillness - thoughts about the role that quiet reflection plays in my life.

Have a great week and a terrific summer!

Mother's Day 2012

First of all, a very happy Mother's Day to all of you that brought us into the world.  If the bright sun pouring into my study is any indication of what this day has in store, you are going to enjoy a warmth of wishes and a level of brightness and joy that you richly deserve.

The past month, since I last wrote on April 14th, has been a cacophony of milestones, moments and memories - some good, some not-so-good.

As we motored through production week for The Farnsworth Invention, none of us could have guessed that an errant driver attempting to pass going up a hill on a solid double line would throw many of us into an emotional stupor and a community and region into an uproar.

It was Friday, April 27th, when one truck, trying to pass a large vehicle, slammed into an unsuspecting truck coming the other way.  By mid-afternoon, the initial death toll of 6 had to be raised to 7, as a teenage girl who had been pulled from the burning carnage had succumbed to her injuries.  Friday, April 27th was also opening night for the show and we had to deal with the cognitive dissonance of having to perform in the midst of an overwhelming pall of grief that had fallen on our community.

But as all shows must do - they go on, and we proceeded to bask in the welcoming energy of a good opening night house.  I especially enjoyed the post-show reception and getting to meet many of the parents of the young adults in the show.  The majority of the cast are of the age that I was back in 1986 when we did A Man For All Seasons at STM in Saskatoon.  Watching their infectious energy, exuberance, and proclivity for partying put me in mind of my younger self.

The following day, my TEDx video was finally released to the public.  It is edging toward 600 views a couple of weeks later, which makes me happy.  I hope you take a few minutes to listen to the stories. Some will make you laugh, one might make you cry.  All of it turned out better than I thought it possibly could. One local media person suggested that next year, instead of talking about "My Social Media Timeline" I should focus on "Social Media Pitfalls".  I have plenty of examples of those, including many that reared their ugly heads last weekend.

Into the second week of performances of The Farnsworth Invention (we did 7 shows in total over two weekends), I was focusing much of my energy on preparing for release of information to our Keyano staff about changes that were coming with the new budget.  By Friday, our Human Resources staff and senior leadership were doing their best to serve layoff notices to 20 members of our faculty and staff.  It was a dark day - a day that was being experienced at colleges throughout the province as fiscal realities required cutbacks.

Unfortunately, elements of how the day unfolded began appearing on Facebook and Twitter and spread like wildfire.  One staff person being escorted to their vehicle by security became everyone being escorted out by security.  Changes in the visual and performing arts faculty became an utter and complete abandonment of the arts. We began fielding calls from major news outlets: Edmonton Journal, CBC, National Post and the Globe and Mail.

To set the record straight - about a lot of things - I spent the day after the layoffs drafting two communication pieces.  One was an open letter to the editor that I posted on the college website in the institutional voice; the other was a blog post - The Future of the ARTS at Keyano - that I wrote in my personal voice.  Both spiraled through the social media universe within minutes of being posted.

Some understood and accepted the information that I was passing along.  Others were earnestly resolute in their opinion that it was nothing but spin, perspective full of half-truths and corporate conjecture.  I stuck to my guns and weathered the storm that followed.

A week that began in dark clouds ended seven short days later in bright sunshine as the college hosted Wayne Gretzky for our first annual One on One Banquet.  Described by one person as "the best event they have ever attended - bar none", the fundraiser for our athletics endowment raised an incredible $210,000 in one night.  Amazing.

The next day we celebrated a dazzling Convocation as over a thousand people saluted the Class of 2012. I was tasked with introducing over 150 grads (out of 750) who were able to attend the commencement.  Ethically diverse, I managed to say all the names correctly except for one.  The days of having "Bobby Smiths" and "Trudy Campbells" are long over in our community.

In the midst of all this activity, we enjoyed having the Giroux family stay with us - for almost six weeks.  Getting a daily dose of baby Madeleine was wonderful, for all of us.  They've been gone only two weeks, but we already miss them terribly.

Neil and Susan spent several days with us last week, enjoying some quality time with Dylan and Ben, and getting out in the yard with Heather preparing the garden and flower beds ready for another season.  With an extraordinarily beautiful Mother's Day Sunday, Heather was able to devote much of the afternoon to doing her planting magic.  Dylan hung out reading the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy while Ben and I went to the river for some fishing, then to MacDonald Island for some rock climbing.

As the world continues to turn, life is full of many blessings, and we remain happy, healthy and excited for the warm months ahead.

TEDx, Easter and Farnsworth

Looking back on the blur of the past month, it's hard to believe that we've fit so much into 30 days.  As the rain turns into snow - winter asserting itself one more time - we are heading into another full day of rehearsal for The Farnsworth Invention, a play that we open less than two weeks from today.

That's Ben in the poster watching TV

"I appreciate the forbearance of my family and my council colleagues, as I've been less visible in recent weeks," I said in an interview about the show yesterday.  The interviewer (Kiran) laughed, as me and invisibility are mutually exclusive concepts.

While we were in the early stages of rehearsals, learning lines and figuring out blocking, I was mentally preparing for my TEDxFortMcMurray presentation.  For those who don't know what TED talks are all about, here is a brief description from the TED website:

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

TEDx events are locally produced iterations of the same, using similar rules, format and branding.  It was one of our Leadership Wood Buffalo case study groups that took on the organization of the event that occurred on March 30th featuring 11 local presenters.

You can read about that incredible experience in greater detail here if you like.  Two weeks later, we're all anxiously waiting for the release of the videos that we'll be able to share far and wide thanks to YouTube.

For the presenters, it was an opportunity to stretch ourselves, try something truly frightening, and give "the talk of our life".  I remember sitting behind the stage, just minutes to go before it would be my turn, a complete bundle of nerves.  Then I saw a couple of supportive comments on Facebook from Isaac, Malisa and Heather, which served to bolster me up and propel me into what truly was an amazing experience.

With a few days grace from rehearsals, we were able to dart back to Kamsack for Easter.  The trip home was remarkable in a couple of ways.  First of all, it was the first time we attempted the 1,225 kilometre adventure in one day.  Secondly, we ran through that fierce spring blizzard that pummeled much of the central region of the province last weekend.  Driven by a 70 km/hr north wind, the whiteout conditions tested our mettle from Humboldt to Wadena, as the highway was covered with a good six inches of slush, the centre line nowhere to be seen.  We passed more than several cars doing the dance with the ditch, waiting for the tow truck to come along, but we pushed through with the knowledge that it was warm and raining in Kamsack and that eventually conditions had to improve.

In the end, I'm so glad we persevered and made it to our destination.  The storm intensified and I'm not sure if we would have been any further ahead waiting to finish the last leg the following day.

"I always forget how comfortable and relaxing it is here," said Heather several times during our 48-hours in the home of my youth.  She hit the nail on the head; being home is such a blessing.

We played card games, ate lots of great food, and truly enjoyed each others' company.  For Easter Sunday dinner we were 19-strong in the dining room, spilling out into the hallway.

We were joined by Doug and Greg's families, as well as Keith. Sadly, I didn't get a photo of this impressive group, but I did catch some of us in a parting shot the next morning, just before we left for the long trip back to Fort McMurray.

For the record and without exaggeration or hyperbole, Dad is looking remarkably well.  He has put on some weight and has completely returned to most of his regular activities - snooker in the morning, running errands through the day, watching his coveted baseball games on TV, and playing as many card games as he can.  Outside of the rigorous attention to his pill regimen, you'd never know he has cancer.

I have to admit that it's hard writing the c-word; I mulled over that sentence for a few minutes.  He is so well right now.  It's easy to forget or ignore what is happening in his liver and lymph nodes.  I guess the hope that we all have is that the chemo treatments bring the spread of the cancer cells to a grinding crawl, giving Dad many more years of waxing eloquent about the escalating price of gas, playing cribbage and washing our vehicles when we come for visits.

This weekend brings an end to spring break for the boys; they return to school on Monday morning.  After returning from Kamsack, Dylan went out to Fort McKay and Ben began going through a "mining" phase, digging holes with his buddy Spencer looking for precious minerals.  There were a couple of days there, when the weather was nicer, that he practically spent the entire afternoon outside.  In these days of websites and video games, that is unfortunately rare.

Heather jumped right back into business mode when we got back on Tuesday.  Part of her focus right now is getting ready for the Spring Trade Show, which is two weekends down the road.  She has been gathering a vast array of yoga props, clothing and jewelry to sell during this 3-day event that is likely to attract over 15,000 potential customers.

Soon the ice on the river will break, I'll be back fishing, and summer will be just a hop, skip and a jump away.  We plan to have a more extended visit in Kamsack in the latter part of July followed by a few days with the Wagner side of the family in the Meadow Lake area.  In August, Dylan will be attending TAKE ACTION ACADEMY at Camp Kiwanis in the Bragg Creek area near Calgary.  The program "offers a head start to ending apathy, encouraging global citizenship and solidarity amongst young people."  He is a natural leader and social animal; he is going to have a tremendous time during this 7-day experience.

Happy weekend and happy spring!

Increasing our digital footprint

Shortly after his exciting night at the Regional Aboriginal Recognition Awards, Dylan announced that he "wanted to increase his digital footprint".  So, he did two things: he started a blog (www.mylifemystoryblog.blogspot.com) and he created a twitter profile @dthomasbouchier.

"I'm really interested in these things," he said, in an animated discussion about the Kony 2012 project at a dinner party last night.

"You are more informed than many of my students in high school," said Natalie, a teacher up at Holy Trinity High School.  "I am very impressed."

So was Dylan.  We went home and he was glowing.

As a parent, I am so pleased to see him finding his way, his niche, his voice.  To see him reading, researching and writing is absolutely great.

Meanwhile, Ben spends his time building, virtually, in an online environment called Minecraft.  He has created gargantuan castles, ships and even a version of the World Trade Center towers.  He is keenly interested in architecture and was particularly focused on the fact that I was going to see one of the great wonders of the world last week in San Francisco - the Golden Gate Bridge.

He had been very diligent in letting everyone in his class know where I was heading, so that when he arrived in class on Friday sporting his new Alcatraz shirt, they knew exactly why and how.

Renee and I had applied to give a presentation about social media at this year's NCMPR national conference and were selected last fall.  To be honest, I felt both nervous and unprepared right up to a couple of days before our departure.  As it turned out, all that worry and stress was for not, as our session went exceptionally well and attracted a standing room only crowd.

Despite the constant rain, I fell in love with San Francisco and am intent on returning there one day with Heather and the boys to explore its incredible neighborhoods and bask in its history.  Apart from experiencing my first cable car ride, the highlight of the trip was definitely visiting Alcatraz.

It was a captivating experience walking down "Broadway", through the cafeteria and into "D" block, listening to the narration of a former guard at the notorious penitentiary. And standing mere feet away from where the three prisoners (made famous by the movie Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood) chiseled their way through the air vents at the rears of their cells to freedom (or death - no one is certain), was surreal.

We landed back in Fort McMurray on Thursday at 5 pm and I started the rehearsal process for The Farnsworth Invention two hours later.  The story of the invention of the television written by Aaron Sorkin, I'm playing the antagonist David Sarnoff, the founding President of RCA.

Ironically, the one site in San Francisco I should have visited but didn't, was the location of Philo Farnsworth's lab on Green Street (just a few blocks away from the crookedest street in the world on Lombard).  We were probably within spitting distance of the birthplace of television as we walked several miles back to the hotel in the pouring rain.  Yes, it rains in San Francisco, a lot!

So, my evenings and weekends focus between now and the end of April is getting ready for my return to the mainstage at Keyano Theatre.  I also have to get ready for the presentation of "My social media timeline" at TEDxFortMcMurray on March 30th.  My audition turned out to be a success and I will join 10 other presenters for a full day of sharing ideas and stories.

Heather has descended into her studio for another full day of teaching.  She continues to be very busy with, and motivated by, her practice.  Somehow, she managed to maintain a positive outlook as her hard drive recently crashed in her laptop, wiping out everything in her calendar and all of her data.  Thankfully, she had backed up her files just a few weeks earlier, and after getting the drive replaced she was able to put her digital life back together again.  If it had been me, I would have been a mess.

We have a house full for the next month and a bit, as Claude, Tiffany and baby Madeleine are staying with us.  Claude is directing the play while Tiffany is designing and building the costumes.  It is so nice to  have a little one around, providing me with some quality baby time.

It is March 18th and winter is holding on by its fingertips here in Fort McMurray.  We've had some melting, but it is still very white outside with some more snow falling this morning.  Soon, spring will arrive in earnest, and fishing season will be in sight.  While the winter has been relatively mild, I'm still anxious for it to end so we can open up the windows and air out the house, and get out in the yard.

Have a great week.

Melaque Memories

Heather will be on a plane coming home from Edmonton later this morning after darting up from Manzanillo, Mexico yesterday.  She had stayed in paradise an additional week, completing her yoga teaching commitment and helping to graduate an impressive group of yoga instructors from across Canada.

Her base of operations has been a rooftop studio owned by Mugs and Bob who spend six months of the year in this home away from home - they are from Scotch Creek, BC.  They had purchased a structure that served as a tiny shop and home adjacent to a lush lagoon, an abundant ecosystem filled with exotic birds, fish, and crocodiles.

After a substantial amount of work, they have an absolutely lovely home with a Zen-like walled garden in the back; living room, garage and kitchen on the first floor; bedrooms on the second; and an open air covered studio on the roof.

I think what is the the most interesting for me is how they are surrounded by simple dwellings and hard-working families, chickens running free and dirt streets.  It provides an interesting dichotomy.

Dylan, Ben and I have been back in Fort McMurray for a full week, swept up in business and school concerns, household chores and regular life.  In some ways, Melaque seems like a distant memory while in other ways, it is right here, hanging in the foreground providing a sense of calm.

From the moment we stepped off the plane in Manzanillo, a mere 30 minute cab ride from our destination, I was enamored with the place.  The next 7 days only served to reinforce the fact that we were not in the Mayan Riviera any longer, this was a different Mexico with a decidedly more relaxed rhythm, less opulence, and more opportunity for experiencing something authentic.

We stayed on the third floor of Hotel Melaque Puesta del Sol (www.melaquepuestadelsol.com) in a two-bedroom unit with a kitchenette facing the beach.

And while we had one of the units with air-conditioning, we chose not to use it, opting instead for keeping the windows wide open and allowing ourselves to be swept to sleep by the crashing of the waves less than 100 metres away.

It is hard to describe in words what the "crashing of the waves" actually sounded like.  A violent explosion erupting from silence might begin to capture the auditory sensation we experienced every few minutes.  When the sun goes down and human activity fades away, the sounds of the waves and cicadas take over.  The opposite effect happens at sunrise as the birds and the people of Melaque awake, the sound of the waves fades into the background.

While Heather spent her days on the other side of town doing her yoga, we fell into a satisfying routine of going for a swim in the morning, followed by lunch in the room, a nap, another swim in the afternoon, and some out-of-the-sun time before going out for dinner in the evening.  At the bookends of the day, I would go for a stroll, exploring or running errands, while Ben and Dylan enjoyed some screen time back in the room.

When Heather got back each evening we picked a restaurant and enjoyed some wonderful local cuisine.  I found the food far superior and more surprising than our previous two holidays in Mexico, not to mention more affordable.

Melaque is a small community of 12,000 souls that swells during the high season, filling with lots of Canadian snow birds and Mexican families from nearby Guadalajara.  There are reasonable hotels (several similar to ours) but no sign of all-inclusive resorts.  Credit cards stay in the wallet; in this community cash is king.

Apart from the vendors from the state of Guerrero who wander up and down the beach trying to sell their wares, there is a very laid back approach to selling in Melaque.  Don't get me wrong, there are lots of stores selling everything from sandals and beach toys to souvenirs and jewelry, awnings stretched out over the sidewalks during the day forcing everyone to run the gauntlet to avoid the heat of the sun.  The difference here, in comparison to a similar stroll in Playa del Carmen, is that you don't have to endure catcalls from the proprietors urging you to part with your money.  In this place, no one bothers you until you ask.  I loved it.

As I walked around I took pictures, capturing some of the flavours of Melaque.  This fellow was eager to have me take his portrait.  I was happy to oblige.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Finally, vacations are about sharing joy and memories with family.  It felt like we were in paradise in terms of being able to enjoy each other's company, laughter and excitement in the waves, great food and an authentic Mexican experience that we'll always treasure.