2024 Summer Update

 

Greetings from Pakenham!

Let me fill you in. I have a girlfriend named Caitlin. She has three girls and we have all been living together in Pakenham, Ontario. Cute little town outside of Ottawa. We are just simple country folk. We have Friday night BBQs, live near a ski hill, have squirrels that are trying to ruin my life, and a driveway that is becoming more and more of a safety hazard with each passing day.

We recently went to Canada’s Wonderland together. We are going whitewater rafting and a water park at the end of the summer to start off the school year with a splash.

My bubble business has been keeping me busy. I am looking forward to a slower pace in the fall and winter. I will teach occasionally but I am anticipating lots of NFL watching, Xbox gaming, reading, and squirrel hunting.

We are almost finished watching The Sopranos. This is my first time watching it and I’m a fan. I am also reading The Sopranos Sessions.  They write a short essay about each episode and have extended interviews with the creator of the show. 

We have gotten pretty into birds but I think that will be its own post.  

Did I mention how much I hate squirrels? I have a memory of my dad shooting squirrels with my water gun as a kid. I thought he was insane; now I get it. 

In case you are unaware, tic season has been especially bad so that’s important information.

We have recently gone to see Despicable me 4 and Inside Out 2; not terrible.

Another fun fact: custom frames are not inexpensive so keep that in mind the next time you buy a painting and think, oh, getting a frame will be an easy and cheap thing to get off the list.

Nothing weird going on in America so that’s good.

Why does the grass grow so fast?

We had a woodpecker stuck in the garage for about a day. My idea to get it out? Play a woodpecker call from YouTube on my speaker to lure it out. You know how that turned out.

Remember when I lived abroad?

In a surprising move, I dropped my keys in a lake next to a boathouse. A few days later I locked my keys in my car and I forgot a $400 piece of bubble equipment in the grass that ended up getting destroyed by a lawn mower. #classicbert

I hope you are enjoying your summer. Stay up late. Eat ice cream. Jump in a pool. Enjoy the long days. Play some glow-in-the-dark bocce ball. Embrace the heat because you know what’s coming.

“You steer the ship the best way you know. Sometimes it’s smooth. Sometimes you hit the rocks. In the meantime, you find your pleasures where you can.”

Junior

Washington + 2024 Update

 

Have you missed me? Unlikely. Here is your update.

I was just in Olympia, Washington, at the beginning of January. I was visiting friends that I met while living in Nakhon. It brings me great joy that we still get to hangout.

Thailand 2012

We went to a comedy show to see this guy:

We hiked part of Mount Rainier

And we also did a mid-week hike in Olympic National Forest

We went bowling, went to an arcade, and ate a lot of great Thai food. Life isn't all bad.

I got caught up on some administrative bubble work, got some reading done, and had a break from bubble parties and supply teaching. Do you know what people in Seattle love? Pinball and arcades. I visited the Pinball Museum in Seattle. I am not a pinball wizard. Yet.

Did I spend 6 hours there? Maybe. Is it the best museum I have ever been to? Yes.

https://www.kuow.org/stories/did-you-know-seattle-s-pinball-culture

Bubble Birthdays kept me busy full-time from May to October. I have been supply teaching at a school nearby. I just started a short-term contract for a grade 5 class while their teacher is on leave and I will be there until at least the end of February. However, the main priority is my business. I want to hire people this spring and see how big I can make my bubble business grow. 

I have tried to give something up for the entire year for the last few years. One year I gave up drinking, another year I stopped gambling, and two years ago I gave up any sort of treat that you would give to a kid. Last year my goal was to stop swearing, stop complaining, and stop drinking Red Bull. How did I do? I had a swear job app on my phone and it has $120 in it. I’m almost positive it’s impossible not to complain for an entire year but I am more aware of my complaining and I think I have it under control. I had relatively no trouble giving up energy drinks but let's just say, I have had a few in 2024. 

What did I give up this year? That’s a bit of a nosy question but I guess I will answer. My goal for 2024 is to not eat or drink at any chain restaurant or drink establishment. My thinking was I was stopping too often (especially in the summer) for something to drink or to get ice cream from McDonald’s or Wendy’s. Nobody should be getting nourishment from a drive-thru because it’s not actual food so I have given it up for 2024. Have I lost weight? No! Have I gained weight? Surprisingly, yes! Now, like the treat denial, there is a bit of a grey area. What exactly is a treat? What exactly is a chain? My initial rule was a chain had to have 3 or more locations but there is a small grace period to iron out what I am giving up for the year. For example, there is a donut shop in Ottawa called Maverick Donuts. They have three local locations. Are they a chain like Burger King is? I would lean towards no. It’s locally owned and isn’t making billions of dollars. Another reason I chose this challenge was to eat more locally and support small businesses. For my sanity, I believe the rule will be if it’s in more than one country, has more than 6 locations, and seems to be on track to continue to grow and not remain a locally-owned business, then I will consider it a chain. If it has a drive-thru, that’s also a good reason to skip eating there.

Quick thoughts:

-Sandbox VR is good, clean fun. (I tried uploading the video Sandbox sent us but it didn't work so here is a link to what it looks like)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ9DOIrZiK0&ab_channel=SandboxVR

-Snow days as a teacher is almost as good as having a snow day as a kid.

-Why are you buying books for kids? The library is free, people! Just go online, find the most popular books, put them on hold at your local library, and just wait for them to come to you. 

-Watch the movie American Fiction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0MbLCpYJPA&ab_channel=MGM

-Leo is also a great flick. Good message for kids. Accurately depicts the life of a kindergarten teacher.

The top books I read in 2023: The Covenant of Water, Ultra-Processed People, The Smart Money, The Stranger in the Woods.

-Is it springtime yet?

"Waste enough minutes and you could waste a lifetime."

Running Out of Things to Write About?

  

I have written three blog posts this year. All-time low. Have I heard the people complaining about not having enough Bert writing in their lives? I have not! Have you found another writer to tickle your imagination? I certainly hope so. But for those longing for an update from the Bubble King, here we go.

 

Is life in Canada boring?

Coming in hot with the first topic, aren’t we? Boring? No. Less novel and exciting than life in Asia? Yes. I’m surprised it took me over two years to start feeling this way. I thought after a few months, I would have been ready to get back out there. I think the high of running my own business kept me going but as the novelty wears off a bit, the realities of my move is slowly sinking in.

I don’t regret coming home. I love how much time I get with my mom and people that I love. I need to do a better job of creating adventure in my everyday life. I think now that the weather has turned, the fewer hours of daylight and having to go back to supply teaching until prime bubble season, it just has me longing for Laos treehouse ziplining and scuba diving liveaboards.

Am I interested in seeing or hearing about anyone else’s travels? I certainly am not.

 

How is your bubble business?

I had been doing it full time since May. That is a huge win. I did about 30 shows in July and 31 in August. Next year is going to be a pivotal year for Bubble Birthdays. I either want to grow or scale it down. I don’t think I want to be doing bubble parties as a 50-year-old. The business idea is sound. As of right now, there is nobody else in the bubble space in Ottawa. The main issue will be hiring people that I trust that won’t destroy my business and putting systems in place to take myself out of the day-to-day of running of the business. I have read a lot of books for help but if you have any helpful tips on how to turn a business into a franchise, let me know.

 

What is teaching in Canada like?

I was right in being apprehensive about becoming a full-time teacher here. The challenges are real and I commend anyone who is able to put in 25 years of being a permanent teacher. They earned that pension. Well, most of them.

 

What are you reading?

This year has been decent for reading/listening. At the moment, I am reading this:

 

I just listened Novelist as a Vocation and now I want to read some more Murakami.

 

Here are some books on my list for the next few months:

 

What are you looking forward to?

I am visiting some friends in Washington in January 2024. It will be nice to be in nature with them, catch up and leave Ottawa for a bit.

The last two seasons I have not been snowboarding as much I had hoped. That changes this season. I have a night pass at Edelweiss and a day pass to Fortune. My bindings were broken so I was reluctant to get after it but now that I have fixed that problem, my plan is to get out as much as I can while keeping both of my writs not broken.

 

How happy do you think people are?

Not as happy as they should be or as happy as they let on.

 

What are you watching?

I just finished watching all of the available episodes of Yellowstone. Big fan.

 

I am trying to get into the Sopranos but time is an issue. Bob's Burgers might be on the list as well.

 

Is life cheap in Canada?

Ummm, last time I checked, no.

 

What is 2024 looking like?

Supply teaching, hopefully winning some NFL futures bets, snowboarding, Pacific Northwest trip, growing the bubble business, making healthy choices, reading and trying to find some adventure in and around the city.

 

What did you give up in 2023 and what will you give up in 2024?

2023 was a year of no swearing, no complaining and no Red Bull. How is it going so far?

No swearing: Pretty well. I have a swear jar app on my phone. I’m up to about $115. I need to donate it to a cause I disagree with. My swearing has plummeted and I am pleased.

No complaining: It’s a work in progress. I feel like it’s almost impossible. Getting better but still not where I want to be. Bringing this resolution into 2024 will be necessary.

No Red Bull: Zero Red Bulls have been consumed. My Monster intake is at about 204. Kidding! No energy drinks this year. I know what January 1^st is going to taste like.

 

My 2024 resolution is not been finalized but I am contemplating giving up any type of restaurant/coffee/drink place that is a chain. A chain free grocery or gas station lifestyle seems a bit much but I think eating healthier and more focused on small businesses would make my life better.

I hear my cousin is going to give up fried foods.

 

Any new questions you like to ask people?

If you could meet any of your ancestors, who would you meet and why?

Describe the most magical moment you have experienced in your life so far.

What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

 

Any final thoughts?

The longer I go without kids, the more appealing not having my own kids becomes. Could it happen one day? Sure! It would probably go great! But I am really seeing the upside of living somewhat kid free.

I love hot apple cider.

Lots of outdoor spas close to Ottawa. I don't hate it. 

Glow in the dark bocce was is a hoot.

I started curling. Big curler now. You know who loves curling? Older, white people.

 

I wish you a pleasant November.

 

“Good or bad, hard to say."