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Hey! I guess this technically counts as a post-Vancouver whirlwind blog, just 6 and a bit months late! I really wanted to share tons of interesting tidbits from our 2 full days on the west coast, but when we got home, reality kinda set in HARD. The only way I was going to share my Vancouver Adventures with "former clients" was through this platform, and not in person the way I wanted to. I honestly think that was when it REALLY started to sink in that my next 27 years definitely were not going to resemble my last 27 years. When I would meet up with clients for a coffee or lunch within the first few months of my retirement (the couple of times that’s happened), I’d walk away a fantastic combination of very happy and pretty depressed - so the less contact the better right? Well, wrong. I have decided that I need to start making a much better effort at keeping in touch with everyone, even if this is the only "time efficient" way I have (40 hour work weeks are time-suckers). I don’t know who’s read these, who hasn’t and if anyone is still even interested, but I feel like I need to share because it helps me feel connected to “my previous life”. So, if you want to come along for a catch-up ride, you are welcome to join me in my wee corner of the internet. I’d also like to report that my hands and wrists are feeling much better. My shoulders on the other hand suck - but that's because desks are stupid. I have also not had any random finger joint bruising since January (which is another plus because purple sausage fingers look awful). So, as much as I miss my “old life”, my body is telling me I made the right decision. So, on to Vancouver - the whirlwind experience. Paul and I flew to Vancouver on (Tuesday) March 5th for the OK Tire AGM and Conference. Yup, that’s right, Vancouver - not Dominican, not New Orleans, not Cancun… Vancouver - home of OK Tire head office (okay, it’s in Surrey, but as my kids would have said when they were younger - “same, same, different name”). This year, it was decided that this “meeting of the minds” needed to be more economical compared to years past - which I totally appreciate and understand, but a week relaxing in the warm sun would have been very very welcome. So, after a crazy drive to the airport (thank you backed up 401), a smooth flight and easy transfer to our hotel/conference centre, we found ourselves enjoying a beautiful spring evening in Vancouver complete with wine from the Okanogan Valley (when in Rome…). The second day was a FULL DAY of all-things OK Tire (12 hours worth) - Breakfast with a bunch of familiar faces from conferences past, an AGM that I didn’t attend (it sounded like a doozy - but I’m pretty confident that I enjoyed my time in the hotel gym WAY more than I would have at the AGM), lunch, an afternoon of presentations, updates and then the trade show took us into the evening (thank heavens it had munchies and some bevvies to keep us going). We got time to speak with everyone we wanted to at the conference, and even managed to snag some time chatting with the CEO. Now Tony (the CEO) was a gracious host when he found out Paul had never been in Vancouver before (I was in Richmond for a cranio course in 2008) and made some amazing restaurant suggestions after he found out we’d be playing tourist in downtown the next day. Unfortunately they were all VERY out of our price range (haha). Once the conference wrapped up, we ate a very late dinner at the hotel restaurant overlooking the Fraser River and then crashed for the night. Who knew talking tires and auto mechanic stuff could be that exhausting???? Thursday was a clear, sunny day in VANCOUVER - yes, that’s right folks - clear, crisp sunshine showing off the breathtaking mountains surrounding the city. We gobbled up our breakfast, snagged our full-day transit pass (thank you 2010 Olympics for the great public transit system that Vancouver enjoys) and headed over to Stanley Park. We enjoyed a horse drawn carriage ride around the park and learned a ton about the place named after that guy who donated a wee mug to some hockey dudes over 100 years ago. We followed up our ride around the park with a walk around the seawall and lunch in a quaint spot beside a marina. We sat there for over 2 hours just taking in the scenery. We then explored Canada Place, watched float planes take off and land on the water, and were in awe of the shipping yards in the harbour. I swear Paul could just watch boats and planes all day long and be completely content. We found a reasonably priced local restaurant for dinner and then crashed out once again after a full day of rain-free sea-air. Friday we packed up our stuff and headed to the airport first thing in the morning. Next thing we knew - we were back in Ontario hoping to find our house still standing. This was Nathan’s first time staying home on his own for a few nights while needing to be at school and at his co-op placement. I am happy to say he managed just fine (okay, I did need to send a few reminders here and there, but most of the tasks had already been completed - chalk one up for Nate). The rest of March consisted of March Break, my boy child joining the gym (because heaven knows I don’t have ANY gym equipment in the garage that he could use) and celebrating AC Tire Sales & Service’s 30th anniversary. Oh yeah, to make life even more confusing at my job, we have 2 names - our legal name and our franchise name (it’s fun calling other stores/vendors/companies trying to figure out which name they know us by). On March 28th 1994 my father-in-law opened up AC Tire in New Hamburg, and then joined the OK Tire family 2 years later. He moved the shop to Baden about 14 years ago. It was fun listening to him tell his employees his story, and how he started in the business over 50 years ago. Most of them know him as the “old” boss guy with a limp, not the tire guy changing transport truck tires on the sidewalk of the first garage he worked for (they would have to have to clear the sidewalk for pedestrians while they were working). A few guys from our corporate offices even stopped in with well wishes (and of course coffee and donuts - the mechanic/tire guy diet staple). So, there’s my March in a few paragraphs. My next blog post will encompass April and May. Highlights to be covered are: Gillian stayed in Ottawa this summer (boo for me - yay for her), my parents put their house up for sale (after living there for 54 years), I no longer have “children”, and prom. PLEASE feel free to reach out and let me know what you are up to. I do miss everyone terribly and think of all of you OFTEN. If you have made it this far through the blog, and want to leave a “hi” in the comments to let me know you’ve seen this, that would be awesome. I’ll see you all with my April/May catch-up next week(ish). Cheers!  Proof - it was sunny in Vancouver!  Our ride in Stanley Park 
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2/25/2024 0 Comments The expert was once a beginner...I remember back in May of 2012 when I started working out at the gym (again for the umpteenth time in my life) and signed up for a few personal training sessions to get me on track. The 3 days after the first session I HURT - LIKE H-U-R-T - immobile - I have no idea how I did my job with how sore I was. I was embarrassed that I was that out of shape. I was mad at myself for not prioritising my own health and wellbeing. I was all the negative, sad, upset feelings on top of being sore. The next session my trainer asked me “how did you feel” and I told him I’ve never been that sore in my life. He said, so long as I don’t stop working out, I will never be that sore from a workout again. I was so awkward, and felt like Bambi on ice as I learned how to squat, push a sled, use an airbike, attempt barbell snatches etc, but I tried, and failed, and tried and failed and then I finally started to get it - then the weight would go up and I’d fail again and again, until I got it… And Eric was right, I was never that sore again - I've been SUPER CLOSE, but not THAT sore! I was thinking about this the last 2 days after Street Parking (the online fitness community I belong to) decided to feature a slideshow I sent them on their weekly YouTube Vault Workout Premiere (every Friday at 5pm). The Vault is a weekly workout that you are encouraged to complete and by doing so helps build consistency. There are 25 of them each year, and it runs January to June, then again July to December. This year they are featuring one person each week who has completed each of the previous 4 Vaults. If I wouldn’t have put myself out there in May of 2012 as a 36 year old mom of 2 who was VERY OBVIOUSLY A BEGINNER at this working out stuff - I would never have been this consistent with working out and getting a "shout out" from a community and program that I adore. This was a great realization to have come to light as I am still very overwhelmed at my new job. I spend more time feeling inadequate and non-helpful than I do having any confidence that I know what I’m doing and feeling like I am a productive part of the team. That being said, I am starting to see slight glimmers of hope because I’m asking fewer questions on day-to-day tasks and am more comfortable with the system and terminology. I can finally try to figure stuff out on my own before I run to Sherri for help. …and thank heavens for Sherri - she is patient and kind and encouraging and puts up with me and all my questions and then fixes my mistakes with a smile and then tries to explain everything to me in a way that I understand it. I’d be lost without her guidance (and the guidance of “the other Sherri” too) - both are “the best”. I guess looking back on my massage career, and then my time spent at the gym and in my basement/garage gym, I am realizing that I was MOST DEFINITELY and MOST OBVIOUSLY a beginner at both of them when I started. Over time I learned little by little what works for me, what my strengths and weaknesses are and that with determination, perseverance and overall consistency, I improved (am improving) with each day. I will get there too with my new job. Learning an entirely new, out of my comfort zone, nothing like I’ve experienced before skill set will TAKE TIME - but I will improve, I will continue to grow and I will gain confidence with each passing day. It’s going to take me a long time to even come close to obtaining the skills that my co-workers have, but with their continued help and guidance, I will get there! Now that you’ve made it through the “Laurie writing stuff down to convince herself that everything’s going to be fine” portion of this blog, here’s the “what’s happened in the past 3 weeks” portion: Nathan started his final semester of highschool (ARG!) at the beginning of February, and has a co-op placement as an “auto mechanic’s helper” at Baden Automotive. He completed his first afternoon shift there on Friday and loved it. Yes, he’s still planning on going to Conestoga for plumbing, but he wanted to try auto mechanic too. If the plumbing thing doesn’t fly, this may be the backup. Gillian was home for 6 days over her reading week. As always, it was great having my entire family under one roof and getting to catch up with her. We don’t chat much when she is in Ottawa, so it’s always nice to find out what she’s been up to and how things are going. She isn’t in love with her semester, but she’s making the best of it. Her aim is to find a job in Ottawa for the summer, but that’s a current work in progress. Paul and I will be heading to Vancouver for 3.5 days at the beginning of March for the OK Tire AGM and conference. I am looking forward to being on the west coast for a few days. Yeah, it isn’t Mexico or Dominican or New Orleans, but it is time away and that makes me happy. We get a day to "sight-see", so if any of you have any suggestions or "must-do's", pop them in the comments below. If you’d like to see the slideshow i sent in that Street Parking put up on their Salazar YouTube premiere, you can find it at the 1:40 mark here: 2024 Vault #8 - Salazar If you are crazy enough to watch the rest of the video, know that I didn't do the toes-to-bar but chose "fitness freedom" and did hanging knees-to-chest instead! I'm also on team "one-head-touch". Vault workout number 208 is in the books. I hope you are all doing well. PLEASE feel free to reach out via email or text me. I miss everyone sooooo much and am feeling a bit lost not knowing what y’all are up to! 🙂 Have a great few weeks, and I’ll check in again after Vacouver. Cheers!  Nathan with his "congrats on getting into Conestoga" ice cream cake! :) 2/3/2024 0 Comments 15 Mondays in a row...Hey everyone! How’s it going?
I’m doing okay all-in-all. I still haven’t heard anything from Conestoga College about the massage therapy program clinical supervisor position, so I’m now making the assumption that I will not be hearing from them. To be very honest - I am super bummed about this. To me, this would have been my ideal “post-retirement” job. I’m sure there is a “reason why” that will become apparent with time, but for right now I’m just annoyed. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have started working at the tire shop. I am definitely out of my element and quite overwhelmed. I am working in an administrative role, and the learning curve is steep! In an ideal world, I should start off working on the front desk with a customer facing role, but I don’t know enough about tires to be able to sell them, and I certainly don’t know enough about cars to be able to advise customers and mechanics, so administrator it is. Half way through the day, I feel like my head has the “buffering” dial above it. As with everything, persistence and repetition is necessary. I am grateful for very patient “instructors” and their belief in my potential and (very) future abilities. I can now get through processing the day before’s paperwork with little supervision which is a small victory, (but a victory nonetheless). I have purchased “Bookkeeping for Dummies - Canadian Edition” to familiarize myself with terminology when it appears in the shop management software they utilize. My goal for next week is to have it not feel like a full week of Mondays! Having an 8-5 workday is also something I’m starting to get used to. Having every evening free is WEIRD! I’ve now started working out at 6am (that 5:45am alarm sucks). I’m accepting that this is the way it has to be and am cherry picking “fun” workouts to make the early hour more “enjoyable”. I am generally a “slow and steady riser” so jumping into my day full speed ahead is definitely a work in progress. Nathan has been accepted to the “mechanical techniques - plumbing” program at Conestoga College. He begins his trades journey in September. The program will teach him the basics of plumbing and then he will look for an apprenticeship upon completion in May 2025. He is super excited for this “new chapter” and we are obviously super proud of him. Gillian earned a Merit Scholarship for doing well in her classes last term. Needless to say we are also super proud of her for busting her ass last term. It’s also my Grandma’s 95th birthday today! We aren’t having a big party or anything because she doesn’t want that. She is going to enjoy the day with her kids and a great dinner at the Keg! Happy Birthday Grandma! So, that’s what’s new in my world. Nothing crazy, but a lot at the same time. I really miss my massage job, and getting to see all of you guys all the time. PLEASE feel free to send me a text or email and let me know how you are doing - even if it just says “hi”. Take care of yourselves and I’ll catch you up on the happenings in my world in a couple of weeks! Cheers! January 20, 2024 Week 2 of retirement was a bit of a mess - great days and ones with “all the feels”. Writing out thank-you cards kinda did me in a bit. It really felt like a ton of “good byes” instead of “thank-yous” - but that was just my head messing with me. This is why I am keeping this blog - so I can “stay in touch” with everyone, even though I don’t know who’s read it and who hasn’t. It is keeping me connected in a very interesting kind of way. My big project in week 2 was watching Roy Choi’s “Masterclass” on his style of cooking (Korean meets Mexican meets LA). Oh, I went all in and now have a fridge with sauces and kimchi “brewing”. I have another week to wait on the kimchi - so I’ll let you know how that turns out. I am really enjoying learning a new way of cooking (I’m not all the way through the classes). His style is pretty “intuitive” and not so “precise” which I need to learn. I LOVE an exact recipe that spells stuff out - so “don’t measure, just put it in” is moving me away from my comfort zone and yielding some pretty decent dinners! This past week I started working at “the shop”. My body is soooooo confused. “What do you mean we have to LEAVE the house by 7:50am?”. “Why are we doing a workout at 6:15am in the basement (frozen garage)?”. “Why am I sitting a good chunk of the day?”.... So far I’ve learnt quite a bit and I can now (with MILD confidence) create repair orders, PO’s and count the cash box! It’s funny that my biggest take-a-way is the sympathy I now have for each and every one of you who had to work from home at a “desk” that was DEFINITELY not set up for you! I kinda want to go back in time and give you all an extra big hug for surviving that - but heaven knows “back then” that wouldn’t have been allowed. I haven’t heard back from Conestoga about the clinic supervisor job yet. I’m hoping that they are just taking their sweet time (again - I swear the universe is trying to teach me patience) and that I will still be considered for the job. I have applied for a few other “admin” style jobs and have either received the “no thank-you” email or not heard back. I’ll keep plugging away, but am grateful that in a few weeks I’ll be able to put down administrative experience beyond running my own show for a quarter of a century! I’ve also had another adventure with the Rav4 - the battery (little one - not the hybrid one) pooped out on it during the cold snap. I was barely driving the car while it was cold, and then on Thursday night it “half started” (lights on, dash lit up, but not able to get that engine going). After a boost Friday morning, and then another boost Friday at the shop, we took her to the dealership and she is now the proud owner of a brand new battery that has a higher crank rating than the one that was installed at the factory. I think that just about sums up my last 2 weeks! Oh, I tried growing out my nails. It drove me nuts and they are now all nice and short again! As always, feel free to reach out and let me know what you’ve been up to! Cheers!  My version of Roy Choi's Kogi Tacos. They were really good! Well, this retirement thing is interesting. Honestly I’m still kinda feeling like I’m in vacation mode - but today is the first day I am really starting to realize that “I’m not going back”. I'm home alone today for the first time since I retired. It sucks. I’ll be fine. I just need to work through it, and I will.
Okay - updates… Christmas and New Years were nice. Not too busy, but not quiet either. This year was one of the best balances we’ve experienced as a family. Having Gillian home for 2 weeks was great, but happy that she enjoyed a week with her friends in Ottawa before classes began again today. Paul worked through the break, and I tidied up most loose ends and packed up my stuff at Union. Nathan got his G2 licence almost a week ago. Super proud of him. I still haven’t let him drive anywhere on his own. Poor kid! He is excited for the independence if his mother would ever let him out on his own! He applied to Conestoga College for “mechanical techniques - plumbing” at the beginning of December - but we haven’t heard anything back from them yet. Application deadline is February 1 - so we may not hear until after that date. All 6 of the jobs I applied to at UW have been filled by other candidates. Unfortunately I did not get an interview for any of them, but this is the way it goes. I appreciate all the support that I was given through the UW application process. I have learned a lot, and will work on "perfecting this craft" as I continue to seek out a new job. For some more exciting news on the job hunt front - I have applied to Conestoga College for the role of “Technologist - Massage Therapy”. Basically I’d be in-charge of their massage student clinic and lab. The two main components of the job include mentoring the students and ordering/maintaining stuff for the clinic space. If I’m not qualified for that job, I don’t know what I’m qualified for! 🙂 I'd appreciate all the "good vibes" and "hire Laurie" intentions you can send out into the universe! I was super excited to watch the first few PWHL games and intend on watching a ton more in the future. I've been a big fan of women's hockey for a LONG time - and getting to see them FINALLY achieve this milestone has been phenomenal. The "on ice product" has been nothing short of excellent. I haven't decided who "my team" is yet. I would cheer for Toronto just because of proximity, but seeing as I couldn't get tickets to any of their home games, I'm a bit annoyed with them (unfortunately the rink they play at only holds 2600 fans). Maybe next year they will negotiate a deal with a bigger arena. G went to Ottawa's home opener and she said it was amazing (over 8000 of them there). Onto the boring stuff. My current reality is that I’m at home, making check-lists of stuff I want to accomplish, and if all goes well in a day, I get most done. You know, exciting stuff like “organize the Tupperware cupboard” and “find gainful employment” (still working on the second one - but it's on the list). Oh, I also got to go and “help” Paul buy new cell phones for the shop - which in all reality meant “keep him company” at the Bell store and then get suckered into helping set up his Dad’s new phone. My advice for that one is “changing platforms for someone who is in their mid-70’s and doesn’t remember ANY of his passwords is not a smart choice”! Paul will be answering constant questions for the next week or two on “how does this work?”. That pretty much sums up my last 2ish weeks - nothing exciting which is generally a good thing. The longer I go without employment, the more exciting things will become in my brain - which isn't really a good thing. It's like the universe is trying to teach me patience or something! How have you all been? Feel free to send me a note via email and let me know what you are up to and how it's going! I am happy to receive as many as you want to send! I miss everyone already. Take care of yourselves! |
Why I started this blog...After 27 years as an RMT, I decided (for the sake of my hands), it was time to move along to do "new things". I had several requests from clients that we "stay in touch". I didn't want to overwhelm inboxes with "what's Laurie up to" emails as they would likely be extremely boring and quite annoying after a while. Putting updates on Socials would also be annoying to everyone around me. I decided to start this blog so people who were wondering "what's that RMT girl up to these days" could look in and find out. ArchivesCategories |
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