The Eagle & Child

So I got myself a record player.  Actually, my mother-in-law was kind enough to give me one of hers. Yes, the thing on which you place a scratchy black vinyl disc which rotates while a needle-tip drags along grooves in the vinyl. I’m more or less from the post-LP generation (my early music collection was [...]

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So Google Street View has reached Heerlen, The Netherlands, the place of my birth and the first seven years of my life.  I can “walk” around my old neighbourhood.  How cool! Technology! So here’s the third installment of a series of posts which will only be interesting to me and possibly some members of my [...]

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I spent most of yesterday afternoon outside.  First, I removed the training wheels from Madeline’s bike.  Second, I assembled our new barbecue. It feels like it might be a little too much barbecue for us: it has a side element, which is something I never used on our old barbecue; it has a “back burner” [...]

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Dixie and I have made a switch for the week.  She’ll be in class all day every day (“Psychopathology”) and I’ll be at home all day every day.  A change of pace for both of us. I’m not sure I can figure out how to compartmentalize my time in an efficient way.  This is something [...]

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Conversation I had with Luke and Madeline tonight: Luke: How big is God? Me: I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Madeline: He’s bigger than the universe. Marc: In a sense he is, I suppose. Luke: Who is God? Marc: Well, he’s the creator of the universe and the whole world. Madeline: And he created [...]

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I flew out to British Columbia in the new year to visit my family.  My dad is failing quickly and my mom is still adjusting to life at home alone, so we thought it would be good to spend some time with both of them.  Dad doesn’t remember me anymore.  He doesn’t really remember mom [...]

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Arrived in Prince Albert last night after a long drive. I’ve had a relaxing day: slept in, read A Life in the Bush (which I’m thoroughly enjoying), napped, played with the kids. Because it’s about time I post something, here’s an exchange from this afternoon which I found quite amusing: Me: You’re going to have [...]

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Nearly forgot that today marks 6 years of the Eagle & Child.  I should have saved yesterday’s post for today, because I don’t have much to say. We had Madeline’s friend party today. 12 kids running around screaming for 2 hours. (Thankfully we used one of the school’s banquet rooms.) Too much.  I think that marks [...]

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…I killed two mice with the classic Victor mouse trap-ock. Well, I’ve lost two valuable working evenings cleaning up this shit.  And I mean that literally. Caught one mouse in the lazy-susan 4 a.m. Sunday morning.  Caught another in our bedroom closet 1 a.m. Monday morning.  On Sunday I set up five traps throughout the [...]

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Since getting married I’ve become more emotionally free, which is a less _______ way of saying that I cry much more quickly and easily. Then having kids made it even more so.  Don’t get me wrong–I don’t spend my days choking back tears, but there’s something in the intimacy of relationship and family that loosens [...]

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