A September to Remember

As we continue to roll down the hill known as summertime, all I can see at the bottom is busy. Most of it is a good busy, but it’s going to be busy nonetheless. September is a crazy time in general. Everyone is getting back into normal mode once Labour Day passes. Vacations are mostly over, kids are back to school, new TV shows start to pop up on screens and everyone is tired of the Olympics.

It’s a time of new everywhere and that is what is stoking most of the fires for our month.

Here are just a few of the events happening in September and even a few in October because, well it will all be a blur by then.

Tired of my crying yet?

In Our House It’s All About The Blue Jays #OurMoment

blue jays family

Dad did the Jays win last night?

Did Joshie hit a home run?

Did Pillar make a crazy catch??

Can we go to another game?

These are all daily questions in our house. From April until October, the Toronto Blue Jays take over the chatter in our family and it was a perfect storm of events that got us to that point.

First, our boys are of the age where baseball becomes fun and interesting. Harry (6) went to his first game two years ago and has been hooked ever since.

Charlie (3) just wants to do and like what his big brother likes, so it was easy for him to become a Junior Jay.

They play in the backyard. Harry has entered the world of organized teeball and baseball. Their Nana has been doing her best to promote her Jays fandom for years. It was bound to stick at some point.

Second, we moved back to Toronto in 2014. That meant hearing about the Jays in the news more. That meant actually being able to go to the games. That meant getting caught up in the hype very easily.

Third, that hype. The Jays are good. They are really good. That makes everyone excited to the point where we watch almost every game on TV now. I certainly did not do that a few years ago. Forget House of Cards, my wife and I end up watching Buck and Pat.

So you combine seeing the game through the eyes of your kids, being close to the action and the team challenging for a World Series and that is how it all went down.

Thank You Howard

harry at howard wall

There are so many variables that go into the makeup of who your kid becomes. As much as you try to control the narrative, manipulate each path taken and add your two cents to each decision, there are aspects you just can’t control.

One such variable that shapes a kid and sets them on a path is where they start school. I am not talking daycare or preschool or babysitting, I am talking full day, school. Where your kid starts going to school can have a huge impact on their love of school, how they learn, how they develop and who they become. It is the starting point for who their friends are, what types of teachers they like/dislike, the start of real stress and worry and really, the start of them becoming an individual person.

All Dads & Grads Need A JumPack When On The Road

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cobra for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a confession to make. I am not a car guy. I have never been that interested in cars other than driving them from point A to point B. There I said it.

I have never changed a tire or tricked out my ride in any way. When something breaks, I call someone to fix it. I did change a few light bulbs before, but that’s it.

That is why when I am driving, or my wife is out with the car, I always have a the tiniest worry of something going wrong and being stuck somewhere.

Stuck without a phone, without power or without the tools needed to get the car going again. I am the guy who chooses not to have jumper cables in the car because then one day it would be proven I don’t know to use them.

But in the age of modern technology it seems silly to have such worry.

Top 10 Foods To Grill On Big Green Egg

big-green-egg

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love to post photos of my latest Big Green Egg dish. You will also know that 90% of the photos are of meat. I love meat. Smoked or grilled, it doesn’t matter. It all tastes delish thanks to my giant green friend.

I have owned a Big Green Egg for four years and I have pretty much tried everything I want to try to date. The only recipe I want to still test is smoking a full turkey. There has been beef, chicken, pork, eggs, pizza and several veggie dishes to date. There have been some misses, but generally everything I cook on the Egg is a hit. Even our picky kids eat the food.

So without spending much more time getting your mouths watering, here is a little list that chronicles my experiences and my favourite meals to grill on the Big Green Egg.

A Fractured Relationship Finally Ends

cracked mug

My second longest relationship is over.

The feelings are still raw as I write this but deep down I know I will be okay.

This morning after pouring hot water into my favourite blue mug, I walked away to let the brewing magic happen. When I returned, there was a large puddle on the counter and even dripping onto the floor? WTF? Did I miss the cup on my pour?

I lifted up the mug to investigate and there it was. A thin fracture throughout the entire mug. The cause of a slow leak. The end of a beautiful and lasting relationship.