Settling Down

Well, it's been a month since I left work and things are settling down a bit. Rosi is still very much missing her mum, and each day brings new memories and new challenges, but she's dealing with her grief as best she can and life unfortunately, moves on.

As I mentioned in my last post; Tami, bless her heart, has offered to take Rosi to Phoenix with her next month. The tickets are now purchased and they leave in less than three weeks. Rosi is really looking forward to it!

I'm afraid I was a little premature in my plans to fly down myself and ride my bike back. It sounded like a very cool, exciting thing to do when I first thought of it but a little reality is now setting in. I've already paid Ward to bring it back so it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend another $1,000 flying down and riding back just for "fun." Plus, I just know I'll get two days into a five day trip by myself and wonder what the hell was I thinking. And besides, if I'm going to spend five days on the bike I'd just as soon do it with Rosi and ride down the Oregon Coast as blast straight through from Phoenix to Summerland. So this time pragmatism is outweighing dreaming and I've passed on that particular idea.

Now some positive news; things are starting to move forward with my consulting business. I had some very positive meetings in Vancouver a couple weeks ago and I have my first teaching contract lined up for April. It's just three two-hour sessions over the Internet but it's a start. It's for a company that does training for the credit union system nationally so it could work into a semi-regular position teaching throughout the western provinces. The company will have a booth at a trade show in May that's part of a large credit union conference in Vancouver and they've asked me to join them. They know I have a lot of contacts in the credit union system and having me at their booth will be a good way to leverage my experience to earn trust in the system and hopefully drum up some business. They're paying my way down so there's no downside for me and it could end up being a great partnership.

And always one to look for the positive, it's a great opportunity to ride my motorcycle! My bike will be back from the US - or I may take the Goldwing, I haven't decided - and I can ride down. The dress is business casual so dockers will be OK, which is good because taking a suit on a bike is a huge PIA. After the conference Kevan and I may hook up and ride our bikes down to Washington State. Maybe a loop through the Olympic Peninsula or as far south as the Oregon border. He's riding to Alaska in June with Karen so it'll be a good shake down cruise for his new bike. See, I don't want to go, but I have to because I can't let Kevan down. :-)

Other than that it's same ol same ol. Like everyone else we're waiting for some decent spring weather so we can get out and work in the yard. It's not too bad - around 8 degree's - but still below seasonal temp's and at least two weeks behind where we should be.

Cheers
Dale