Although it just seems  like yesterday it was actually 23,733 days ago that another screaming kid came in to this world. The birth notice in the Calgary Herald said that a girl named Patricia Ann was born to Fred and Kathleen Vanstone  on April 2, 1945, a slip-up my father thankfully corrected the very next day.

So far, it seems to have been a fast and furious life. I remember my first kiss, my paper route, my first crush, there were many of those, my first job, getting my driver’s license-now that was a big day. A marriage, 3 kids, another marriage followed by two more kids. And a blur of people, places and events in between them all.

I now have 8 great kids. Four I fathered and the four they chose.  Two grand kids, maybe  3 by the time you read this, and a wife of almost 30 years.  I have the whole package, including (and this is a big one too)  my health.I’m fairly fortunate in the lifestyle department too. We get to bump around North America sharing the odd tall tale with neat people we meet. We stay where we want, travel when we want and when we get tired of all that we go back and visit our awsome family.

I understand they are planning a surprise party for me tomorrow. We’ve hurried back 3,000 miles from Mexico to be in Toronto April 3 at noon for apparently “no particular reason.”

I’ve heard “What do you want for your birthday?” more than once in the last while. I’m always good with another hug. If you don’t feel that’s enough (even though I do) 20 more good years would be excellent, 30 more would be even better. There is a lot of things I haven’t got done yet and quite frankly, everything else, ….that’s all just stuff.

Did I mention my friends? I have many. Unlike Facebook I’ve never counted, but I certainly have more than I deserve. And if there really is a big guy up there looking after us all I especially owe him a great big thankyou. I admit, he’s been through a lot with me. I haven’t been easy to look after, but I think even he has to admit that when I finally dogrow up I’m going to turn out “all right”.

What a ride it’s been. And I just can’t wait to see the rest.

Tags: Family, Health
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 Yesterday was my day for a root canal. I’ve never had one before and had no idea what to expect. Oh sure, I’d heard all the jokes like”no thanks, I’d rather have a root canal“.

When I was a young lad we had a root cellar on the farm and I grew up on A&W Root Beer (they always had the hot car-hops;remember INEZ?). Grimsby is only a few miles from the world famous(before you press the upcoming link, be ready for the horn) Welland Canal so I understand all the words, just not together.

Yesterday I learned the true meaning.

I’m early for my 10AM appointment. I’m shown into his office/work area/broom closet and seated.As I look at his equipment I remember the terror of my first ever visit to a dentist 60 years ago. He has the exactly the same equipment. First he freezes my mouth. That’s good. Then he tells me what will happen and explains “no pain”. That’s good too.

Away we go with the heavy equipment to clear the way for the big job. An Xray, then a couple of sticks of dynamite and now we’re ready to go deep. I can’t feel a thing while he digs away in my mouth. Strangely though all I can think about is Tequila and I don’t like tequila. Now I’m thinking about sending out his assistant for a bottle of the good stuff so he and I can share while he works. After all, I’ve placed my entire life in the hands of this gentleman.

He’s going deeper and deeper, I casually wonder if he’s going to take my credit card out of my pocket from the inside. He explains that I have healthy teeth with very long roots so it is taking longer. I now understand why the big toe on my right foot has been uncontollably moving up and down.

Finally, we have finished the excavation and the removal of all the old wires and cables. There must have been a mess of them. Next we fill the holes. Soon his assistant arrives with another wheel barrow full of what appear to be large(bowling ball size) balls of sand. He continues to work in my mouth as I hear another dump truck back into place.

We are almost done. This truck has hot ashphalt, a temporay finish until I get crowns(next monday). With smoke (from the pavement) still curling out of my mouth he stands back and gazes at his work.

I, mistakenly, think he’s finished. He dives back in. I think this trip is to install the traffic islands and gutters. Now he stands back and smiles. We are done.

I swear that’s exactly what happened, Or maybe there was something special in the anisthesia. Either way, it was 2 hours well spent. As I left his office he advised me that for any minor discomfort I should take 2 Pacifico or 2 tequila or both.

I gave him his 2500 pesos and bid adios

Tags: Health, Mexico, RV Adventures
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Tuesday I received a letter from Services Canada asking if I was dead. I promptly called the appropriate 800 number to see what was happening. All the while I was quite sure I’m still alive and kicking but these days one can never be sure. 

 I was right! I am alive. A little overweight and not in particular good shape (they say round is a shape), but fully and completely alive. Not only did our freindly Service Canada rep confirm that I am alive but he informed me that I am so alive I would receive my Old Age Security check beginning next May. Provided of course that I stay alive until then.

Can you imagine? I just got my driver’s license and here I am getting OAS pension benefits. What the hell happened here?

Tags: Health
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