I'll Do It All Again
January 22, 2012, 10:45 p.m.

Living The Dream
January 15, 2012, 11:26 p.m.

Just when you thought I had terminated my career as a semi-amateur blogger, lightning has struck you down, and you live to read another post from the grand master of deception and foolishness. So here goes, it's been a while, so how are things with you? Let's try blowing the dust off the keyboard and get down to serious, or as serious as I get, blogging business. Two weeks of silence? Tell us more. Well the truth of the matter is, I've been busy, no excuse, I've been getting accustomed to a whole new life, no excuse, and the huge smile on my face says it all, that's the real excuse. I'm having the time of my life right here at home, in my own little distorted world. I haven't been so stress free, so rested, so enjoying life since I was a little kid who was the fastest runner on the schoolground, and knew someday, somewhere, he'd be "King of the Castle" and the rest of the world would be the "Dirty rascals". Folks, that moment has arrived! Shedding the nuclear plant duties seems to be just what the doctor ordered for me. I now get to run or bike everyday, go to every Rainmen basketball game, spend some quality time with my family, and hang out at the shop everyday except Sunday. I've had many customers already telling me "I'm living the dream", and trust me, I am. Sleep patterns? I never had them before, I never had time for sleep, but that's changed dramatically. I'm in bed almost every night before 11 and on some mornings up before 4:30 am, the very same time I hated to get up and go to work for at the nuclear plant. Funny about that. And although I haven't been back to the "smoke factory", I still seem to end up there most nights. I said pardon? Yes, you heard me right. It seems almost every night I end up dreaming about doing a shift at the plant, having horrible things go wrong, just like they really used to, but then I just wake up and its all over. No flashing alarms and sirens, no incomprehensible flood of information streaming on and off the operating screen as the phone rings, and the radio calls begin to pour in, no fear, no imminent doom, just a pinch in the thigh and just like that, I realize its only another nightmare. Nice eh? The shop, yes the shop. Things have been busy, and now that Alex is gone on maternity leave, Zach and Aaron have been standing on their heads, doing a terrific job helping our customers. I just stand around and crack jokes, and tell stories from "back in the day." Things have been steady, much steadier than your typical January. The reason? Have a look outside! No snow, most days above zero, go figure, our customers are thinking Spring! Premature? Maybe, but who knows? Aaron and I will continue to take advantage of the weather as it stands, racking up real road miles on our bikes as we commute through the current winter solstice. Anything else worth mentioning? Sure, tons of stuff on my mind, ideas, plans, goals, all things I hope to accomplish, but if you want to hear about them or help me execute them, you'll have to come and see me at the shop, because that's where I plan on hanging my hat for the next while. Thanks for checking in, I'll try not to be a stranger to danger, and commit to continuing to saddle this website with a blog that weighs a ton and has the worth of a Greek Euro. Good night!

A More Balanced Beast
January 3, 2012, 9:29p.m.

Hmm..., up till now I always I thought alcohol had no effect on me, but after browsing over my last post below, and the poor and repetitive writing style displayed, I guess one will have to attempt to prove/disprove that theory again some time in the future. Just a reflection of the past, so lets get things rolling here. Another great day of retirement following a wonderful weekend. Yes folks, I'm proud to say I'm back on the bike, and Le Grande Orange get's to ride another day. Thursday, in the wind, it was a ride, Friday it was a run, Saturday, in the heavy rain it was another ride, so today it was run. That's how simple and great life can be. The first day on the bike was tough, found out the disc brakes on the front of the slightly abused Grande Orange were locked on during the ride in. The ride home, with my new Schwalbe Marathon studded tires inflated to above 10 psi and with the brake repaired seemed like heaven by comparison. Yesterdays ride home in the downpour, I actually waited for it before starting out, was excellent! I love a challenge! Checked out "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" with Kristie as we celebrated New Years eve last night, and I totally enjoyed it. This morning consisted of an hour and a half round of accounting, then a run, followed by a Rainmen game with Zach and Brianne. Went for a bite to eat after the game and then it was homeward bound. I've completed a bit of housekeeping on this site, answered some emails, and during the whole time felt totally at ease. This feeling, as foreign as it is, is starting to grow on me. You see, before with the hours put in at the Nuclear Plant, I was always racing against the clock, and always losing time. Now, I'm enjoying life, taking time to savour it, and still maintaining the "new race pace." The result, utterly stress less days, one after another. I'm still experiencing the odd adrenaline rush, they seem to occur while appreciating just how lucky I am, how great I'm feeling, and then it dawns on me that I'll never have to go to work again at the Nuclear Plant. The rush starts at my feet, rips though my abdomen, makes my heart palpitate, and then steam blows from my ears for a second or two. What a wonderful feeling it is. I've been reading Kevin O'Leary's new book, "Cold Hard Truth" a book Steph gave me for Christmas, and so far I'm really enjoying it. He seems to be a ruthless, rotten bastard, just like me. One entrepreneur reading about another entrepreneur, it's amazing that although he's worth millions, and me, worth nothing, we've crossed a lot of the same bridges, and shared many of the same experiences. Cool. What else? Nick, my #2 Son who was teaching in Korea last year, left Saturday morning for Australia at 5:30 am with his girlfriend Danielle, for a work/vacation of undetermined duration. Best of luck and love to both of you. Gee, as I write, I realize that if I keep going and posting about all the positive things that I've been fortunate enough to participate in this weekend, I'll be burning the midnight candle, and have no time left to accomplish anything else. Way back in 2011, yes that's right, yesterday, that may have taken place, but this is the New Year, and with it, comes the "New Barry." A more balanced beast, still a tad on the nasty side, so don't cross me, still bordering on insanity, and as driven as ever. As for the rest, that's a story for another day...

TKO'd on TOKYO BrewDog Stout
December 27, 2011, 10:27 p.m.

OK, so lets clear a few things up here right from the get go. I'm not ripped on the BrewDog TOKYO Stout, but I have sampled, lived to tal about it, and enjoyed a Tokyo BrewDog Stout, mmm... and while I'm at it I'll clean up another myth/ question I've been faced with recently in regard to the future frequency of this blog. I love to blog, don't get me wrong, it brings me great pleasure, great joy, but I have to have a reason to release my accumulated nonsense to the World. So expectations? The same as before. When I feel like it, when the time is right, when it is most meaningful, and nothing more C'est la vie!. So, one of my wonderful Christmas gifts from my #1 Son, Jeff was the aforementioned BrewDog Tokyo Stout. Jeff will always be my #1 Son, and with that, he carries the all too familiar family burden one associates with being the eldest of a new generation. As much as I feel sorry for him in the fact that he has been handed that responsibility, I feel a tremendous joy and relief in knowing that I could have never in my wildest dreams chosen someone as capable as him for the task in hand. He has accumulated an immense amount of talent, strength, and wisdom in the few years he has been a part of this World, far greater than the 55 years I've racked up to date. So back to Tokyo Stout, like my #1 Son, it is very special, and demands your immediate respect. Dark, yes all stouts are. Aroma, very unique, very strong, dark, and woody. The 18.2% alcohol volume needs, and receives a disguise before it hits you over the head like a hammer. Woody flavoured, this stout is aged in Oak, and by the smell of it, at least for a couple of years, and you taste the Oak as soon as you sip it, along with the % high alcohol. You definitely sip this beer, you don't drink it, a new experience for me. Totally black, with a hint of chocolate, but not much, this stout is a stout first and foremost, and best sampled at room temperature, to expose its strong, almost pungent oak smell that makes it a total stand out. As mentioned on its label, this beer was inspired by the 1980 space invaders arcade game, and is flavoured by French toasted oak chips. It is the very first worldly beer that I've had enough respect for to sip, savour, and smile, definitely a first for me. OK enough about great beer for one day, I've got many things to say this evening, many things to enjoy in the next day or two, and now that the BMan is retired, I have all the time in the world to explore both. Looking forward to tomorrow, looking forward to next week, looking forward to seeing the World we live in just get better and better everyday. Join the movement, love today, embrace the future, and thank the good Lord for all the wonderful things we've been blessed with, because if you look hard enough, you'll find that we've been served up the best meal one could possibly hope for! Happy dining!

Fumbling In The Dark
December 23, 2011, 8:48 p.m.

So how is retirement treating you Barry? Strangely enough, I've actually been fielding this question for the last two days, and will probably field it for quite a bit longer, at least that's my guess. First off, retirement has been a total pleasure, well the 48+ hours I've experienced so far. In what way? Well, I've already mentioned the wonderful emails and congratulations I received from folks all over the place, and yesterday my Staff blew me away with a Christmas/Retirement gift I'll cover in further detail after the Holiday Season. It was personal, hilarious, delicious, and perfect in every way. Sorry folks, I can't tell you what it was, because then I'd ruin Christmas for everyone else who couldn't get one, so trust me, this was a Limited Edition, once in a lifetime gift that I will be forever be in debt to my Staff for. You say what is playing in the background? Ya, it's still J Geils and Teresa, (see the previous post). You've heard me say I'm a creature of habit, and those who know me probably wish I wasn't a creature of habit, I'm sorry, but that's who I am! Years ago when I was just a young lad, I sailed the seven seas like Captain High Liner, but without the Captain designation working for the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. Back in the day there were no MP3's, no CD's, and no DVD's on the ship, but a technological marvel called the 8 track. We left for a three month trip from Halifax to the top of the frozen World and back, and the whole time the J Geils Band "Monkeys Island" played day and night, twenty four seven, over and over again. The 8 track was never shut off, it continuously looped, just like the clouded party that we participated in and were surrounded by at the time of our perceived interminable youth. Okay, enough of the flashbacks from the Vietnam War era, lets get on with this evenings post. Retirement, the new life, the transformation, call it what you want, it's seems to be an evolution in progress. The one thing I told Kristie I really disliked the most about working at the Nuclear Plant was getting up at 4:30 am for day shifts. Guess what time I was up today? Yup, 4:15 am, totally wide a wake, totally rested, and in every way ready to go. What the Hell is going on here? I dislike getting up early, I hate the cold, and I hate the dark. And yet here I am, fumbling around in the dark, sipping the first of at least a dozen Bikes Plus Dangerous Dark javas, reviewing my quickly depleting portfolio of never ending losing stocks. Get the drift? I think you do. Just like every change we face in our lives, we adjust, realign, and make the most of the cards we are dealt. This new life, it's new, and then some. I've finally been given the opportunity to do something greater and contribute to society in a more meaningful way than I've ever been able to before. Please push me to my new, unlimited limits. I'll love you for it!

The Brightest Day Ever For The Luckiest Guy In The World
December 21, 2011, 6:58 p.m.

It's funny how it goes, I've spent a good portion of the day thinking to myself as ideas/thoughts raced through my demented mind, how do I capture that, how do I say that in my "Special Edition" retirement blog, and now that I'm at the keyboard, the J. Geils Band is playing Teresa over and over and over, yes that's a shift, and the day is almost done, I can't seem to pull it all together. What the Hell, here goes nothing, after all, that's about as much as you folks expect when they read this blog. Lets begin with my last shift at the nuclear plant, which was last evening. I arrived at 5:30 pm, as I always have faithfully for 32 years, but this evening I didn't change into my Nuclear Plant attire, (it's very cool and fashionable attire, trust me) because for all intensive purposes I wasn't there. My focus? I have to be honest here, it was to enjoy a few hours with some of the guys that have put up working with me for almost 20 years. That's a long time when you like and get along with the person, so just imagine how long it seemed to them working with a monster like me. But the guys/gals were great, and they ordered a ton of Pizza Hut pizza and wings in just for me and my "Last Supper.". Let me be clear about one thing, I love Pizza Hut pizza, always have, and always will. How does the slogan go, Pizza Hut, and nothin but." So we had a wonderful feast, and then after some corporate checklists were ticked off, handshakes were complete, I started thinking about the next day, today, the first day of my "New life." I got up this morning at 8:00 am, the sun was blazing in the windows, the skies were powder blue, and I knew one thing was for certain, I had to get out for a run. As I headed down the driveway, with Matt Good screaming from the Ipod into my ears, the cool air rushing into my lungs, and the white sun blinding me, I had to keep pinching myself to make sure that it was all real, and that I hadn't arrived at the pearly gates of Heaven, (fat chance of that). As I ran, it felt like I was floating above the road, I didn't feel any impact on the soles of my shoes, and didn't notice any workload on my body. Pinch.. Yup I felt that, so everything is still fine, if it's not, please leave me be because I've found my happy place and am content with whatever happens to me from here on in. As the run progressed, my mind wonders, it always does when I'm really relaxed, and I recall scary moments from the past, dark events, along with moments that I've felt were so tremendously wonderful in every way, that I don't believe I have ever really been entitled to enjoy them. So as you can sense, my run today, in the most perfect conditions imaginable for a December 21, was totally spiritual. At the half way point I was enjoying myself far too much and decided to push my creaking old body to a pace that hurt my body to remind myself of what life is like for far to many on regular basis. Foolishly, I sometimes feel that if I inflict pain on myself, I may shed, or share the pain of others in hopes that their days are as equally as bright as mine always are. Post run, post shower, it's Xmas shopping time with Steph and Nick, two of my three children who have been deprived for far too long of what a "real father" can do for and be to them. We drive into Halifax to do some shopping, had a few laughs, shared a nice lunch, and they did things with their dear old Dad that they had never done before because he was always "too busy." Hoping that changes, hoping to do it again next year guys if we can, and thanks a million for taking time to share a bit of your joy with me. I love all of my family, I truly do! I have to get in the habit of letting you know that everyday. There have been many people who have contacted me today wishing me the best in my "new life" and I want to thank all of them again. Best wishes came all the way from Rio de Janeiro, Spain, North Carolina, Vancouver, and from many local friends, family, business contacts and co workers. Regrets? None! Excitement, goals, ideas, energy, limitless. I still feel I haven't found the true reason the good Lord has placed on this planet, but I'm hoping that it has something to do with making this a better World to live in and that in some way I can help put a smile on the faces of a few people who hang out here. Signing off with an overload of adrenaline rushing through my veins, and an outlook on the near future that excedes all of your expectations. The brightest day in my life, and "Freedom 55" has only just begun...

A Very Special Week For A Very Ordinary Guy
December 5, 2011, 8:27 p.m.

Sitting here listening to some old MGB stuff from Underdogs and for some reason absolutely totally pumped. I've yet to get some shut eye today, and yes I cooked another mean lasagna for my family this evening, and yes, last night I worked the back shift from 6 pm to 6 am, so I should be toast by now. Joked with the guys at the nuclear plant when I left this morning and said that after 32 years I was finally starting to get used to shift work and thought I might stay an extra year or two. NOT!! Today I was fine until about noon when my head started to drop and roll for no apparent reason other than the fact that my body was shutting down, but after years of experience, I know how to handle that one. Just put the sneaks on, pull up the shorts and go for a good hard 10K run. Yes your feet hurt, yes your body hurts, and you second guess yourself, but that doesn't last long. Soon you're warming up, you start to wake up, and the life that has temporarily left you is pulled back into you like a vaccuum with a big time vengeance. Supper was excellent, thankyou very much, and then it was onto reading the paper that I didn't have time for this morning after coming straight from the shop. Tomorrow will be a shop day (there will be many of those in the near future) and then Wednesday will be a huge milestone for me. I'll have the pleasure of going out and having a terrific meal with a select group of my co-workers, their wonderful spouses, and of course my better half, Kristie. It will be the last meal, the last social function as an employee of the nuclear plant that I will ever attend. Andt believe it or not, it will be in honour of me, or should I say in honour of finally getting rid of me after all those years. Either way you look at it, it's a win/win situation for both parties, and I'm really looking forward to the evening. Just found out this evening that my boss has been to this blog, and gathered a few tidbits of info for the evening to talk about. Oops, could be a rough night, but hey, hopefully I don't get fired a week before I'm about to retire. Note to ones self, if you don't want people to know how you feel, don't write about it on the world wide web. I've been known for years as a free thinker, along with being a medical pioneer with cures for being bipolar and diabetes under my belt, so please cut me a just bit of slack. Thinking outside the box, because that's where I hang out, is what I've done for years. I'm hoping you don't punish a man for being what he is, and that's what I am, just an ordinary guy, with a very special week ahead of him. Thanks for tuning in, and thanks to all of you, and there have been a ton of you who have made my day every time you're in the shop and have asked me how many more shifts are left. Two sets, not that anybody is counting, especially me! Have a good night!

Bipolarized Solution
December 2, 2011, 11:01 p.m.

Here it is, Friday evening at 11:01 and I'm hooked into the "Matrix" for another evening. The "Matrix" Barry? Yes, head phones on, keyboard at my fingertips conveying total nonsense to the World, and my monitor sits in front of me, relaying the latest "false facts" from those who want to influence me and my thought processes. That my friends is as close as we get these days to the futuristic vision of the Matrix Movies of the late 90's, and in reality, we're not that far off the mark these days. We're all plugged into and living in a dream world that unfolds before us via our computer or tablets. Is it real? It has to be! It's the internet, and that's where the truth is, or so we are led to believe. Please note the bold print, because that should be a clue to those free thinkers out there who don't like to be controlled by those who truly understand the power of the "Matrix", or should I say the internet and take advantage of the believing masses. Wow! Way over the top, way to deep, way so not Friday Night News Barry. My apologies folks, definitely out of character, way too what is the word I'm looking for, cerebral for this blog, especially from a moron like me. So what's new? This weeks day shifts are done, I had a great 10K run tonight after work, and this evening is the beginning of another weekend. Does that mean anything to me being shift worker at the old nuke plant who works at least 50% of them, and doesn't really notice when they occur? Not yet, but in three weeks it will, trust me. Next on my list, but definitely not in any order of course, because then perhaps this blog may make some sense, God forbid that ever happens. I stayed up late to watch the Matt Good interview on the George Stroumboulopoulos Show the other evening and he talked about his struggles with being Bipolar. He stated it's source is a chemical imbalance of the brain, so immediately I went to work on trying to solve this condition, not because I have it, but because I know and have practiced for years what the cure for it is. As Matt stated, its a chemical imbalance which means you have too many of one type of chemicals in your brain, and not enough of another. Correct? The solution? Easy, have no chemicals in your brain whatsoever. The way I look at it, if you don't eat, and you only drink coffee, which is what I do, you can't possibly have a chemical imbalance of the brain. No chemicals equals no imbalance. It's either that, or that you choose to have no brain but a bunch of unbalanced chemicals looking for a place to hang out. I do know a few friends that are in this boat, but that's a story for another evening. I'll take the first option, thank you very much. Done deal, Bipolar disorder solved, next please!
Medical Disclaimer: The thoughts of this blogger do not constitute or follow any pattern of standard medical science or reasonable thought process. Please be forewarned, following this advice may make you feel better and become more intelligent than most of your friends. If you find you're feeling totally euphoric and out of control after following this treatment, please seek professional medical advice. They will have a pill available to bring you back to your normal depressed state.

Only 12 Shifts Left, And Counting
November 30, 2011, 8:36 p.m.

My Maple Leafs are on the tube right now, playing the big bad Bruins who wiped them out 7-1 the last time the two teams met. Sorry folks, as much as I enjoy blogging, it will have to wait for another evening. Maxed out this week at the shop, lots of stress, lots of running, soon lots of biking, another milestone to happen early next week with my official retirement dinner, and as of tomorrow morning at 4:30 am when I get up and head to the nuclear plant, only 12 shifts left, and counting.

Barbecued Fritos
November 24, 2011, 8:42 p.m.

Wow, and just like that ten days have passed since my last post. How does that happen when "the ultimate countdown" the countdown to my official nuclear plant retirement has not changed in weeks? Seriously, it seems every week I go into work, I have more days to go until judgement day than the week before. I have mentioned to some that I believe I'm caught in a bad dream, one I can't seem to get out of. Please, someone, anyone out there, please give me a poke. Just to be on the safe side, lets make it a very serious poke. I want to wake up, I want this to be over, I want to be freed once and for all. OK, so you have my wish list for Nov. 24, 2011. What else is new? Quite a storm we had yesterday, a mess driving home, and get this, to get to work this morning, I was up at 4:15 and literally shovelled my way out of our subdivision. No plows=No driving, and that's what I was faced with this morning when I headed out. Couldn't believe it, can't repeat the language that came out of my mouth as I burned my tires, hung up the Speed 3, shovelled, and burned the tires some more to get to work. Did I make it? You bet! Fifteen minutes early, because that's the kind of guy I am. I've worked 32 years at the nuclear plant and have been late only once. Enviable record? Definitely not, because I was late once. I'll have to work much harder at that in my new career, at the shop. What else? My Leafs are on top, or close to it, my Rainmen are the hottest professional team in Metro, and I'm trying to prepare myself for the "Mother of all weekends." Tonight is known as a six pak night by shift workers, its the evening after your two day shifts where you're stressed to the max, but because you work the following evening night shift, you can't get really messed up, just a little messed up. Thus the six pak designation. Because I don't drink average beer, only Super beer, as in Garrison IPA, my six pak night usually consists of one bottle of the premium brew in all of Canada, if not the World. The glass has gone empty, Lexar, my faithful and hockey loving dog is wining at the foot of the stairs, letting me know she wants to head downstairs and watch the Leafs on the big screen and eat the most nutritionally balanced food available to mankind, the choice of many Champions beside myself, Fritos barbecued corn chips. Good night folks, hope today was a great one!

And The Day Just Keeps Getting Better
November 13, 2011, 8:19 p.m.

Just how good can a day be? Not sure, but let's just say today was a day full of pleasant surprises that hasn't ended yet. I woke up this morning with a very different feeling in my stomach than typical. Was I sick? No. It was a wonderful feeling, one I haven't felt for quite a while. Yes, my Leafs stunk last night in a sad effort against the Senators, but this morning I woke up and knew today I didn't have to do anything. What do you mean Barry? Well, there were lots of things I should be doing, but none that should have been done weeks or days ago, so in my world friends, that means I'm almost up to date on my "to do" list. And on top of the fact that I knew I had nothing that had to be done, I was looking forward to few positives that I had tucked in my back pocket last night before I went to bed. Today I'd go for long run and attend the Rainmen Sunday afternoon BBall game. So after my more than leisurely ten cups of Java, I did a bit of stock market research to seek out the next company that I will invest in and drive their shares to the depths of despair. After that, it was outside for an unbelievable 10K+ run on what would have to rate as the nicest November day on record I can recall. Great run, great day and after a hot shower it was off to the game. It was a tentative trip into the city, because after viewing the Rainmen season opener, which was the worst game I'd seen in years, I had mixed feelings about what I was about to witness. Well let me tell you all my apprehension was gone within the first five minutes of the game. The team played flawlessly, they were coached flawlessly, and I would say the game I watched was one of the best efforts I've seen from the Halifax franchise ever. After a great run, and a great BBall game, you feel like celebrating, so I went ballistic and stopped at Pizza Hut and ordered up two large Canadians. MMMMmmm...some good, and after I got home I thought I'd sit down and sip on a beer I purchased yesterday, yup, a Garrison IPA, but get this, the day just keeps getting better. When I pour the beer, I notice it's a tad darker than normal, actually its black. Lo and behold, when I check the label, I come to find out I'm in possession of not only a Garrison IPA, but a Garrison Black IPA. It's like finding a precious jet black diamond among the normal clear ones that everybody else has. A special occasion, a special treat, which in turn has made this day that much more special. While hammering out this blog I've been playing over and over a live version of Matt Goods "While We're Hunting For Rabbits" recorded last month in Kitchener during his 2011 Endangered Species Tour. It is the same rendition I heard Matt play live in Halifax on October 14, it's awesome, and very special to me, just one more reason why this day just keeps getting better and better. Good night folks. Hope your day was as positive and pleasant as mine.

Just Like In The Old World
November 6, 2011, 7:47 p.m.

Had a great conversation with one of my favourite customers yesterday, who dropped by to tell me about his trip to Italy last September, the great cycling he experienced, the amazing sights he saw, but most off all, the wonderful people he met. He raved about the B&B he stayed at, and how the owner would either ride with him or guide his rides everyday. If the pace was be too quick, he'd motor pace the riders, but he was always in some way part of the group. He gave them advise, encouragement, and food, in short, he made the group remember him personally, his business, his caring and passion above all the other wonderful memories my customer brought home with him. Then my friend/customer mentioned how he went to an Italian bicycle manufacturer and when he walked through the door was met by who? The owner, a past Giro and Vuelta champion from years gone by. Was I surprised? Not at all! As I mentioned in my blog a couple of years ago now, when I had the opportunity to visit Italy, that's the way its done in Europe. If you don't see/meet/interface in some way with the "head honcho" of any small business over there, then something is wrong. So using that very same analysis, something has been wrong at our shop for over 19 years now. This is in no way a criticism of my staff, it is a criticism of myself. Thanks to my staff and their efforts, we've been able to carry on our business more or less the way I'd like to do it, for a long time now. I thank them for all their support. It's not easy working for a "Nut". But the time is coming very soon at Bicycles Plus where things will be done like they are in the Old World. The "head honcho/Nut" will be around everyday, like it or not. He'll be laughing, shaking hands, carrying products out to cars, thanking you everyday for coming in, doing whatever he can to help you our customers. After all, that is the way a business should be run. Call me old school, but I have a vision and a few observations I'd like to share with you. I believe people are tired of being taken for granted, and tired of mediocre service. They want to deal with real people, friendly people, and people who really care about them. That my friends, is the business model I am pursuing. It's not a new one, it's not leading edge, its not cool or high tech, it's just one that works, and works all the time. Thanks for all your support in the past, we're committed to getting much better in the very near future.

Stealing A Day, Tips From A Pro
November 3, 2011, 8:15 p.m.

So the countdown begins at 6 am this morning when I leave the gate doing 98 from the nuclear plant. Five sets of shifts left and counting, yahoo...but sadly enough, only five more opportunities to steal a day, a day I've stolen for many years of my life. You see last night was a mild one at the plant, no melt downs, no radioactive releases, and less than one million alarms per minute on average for the evening shift. Trust me, that's a good night. So with that being said, I was in a chipper mood when I arrived at the shop for some early morning planning. The goal here is to get a full days work in, spend some time with my family, and contribute in some meaningful way to the "Family Unit", instead of wasting the day producing ZZZZ's while sleeping on my back. That my friends is what stealing a day is all about, and every shift worker in the world tries to do it, but only the ones that don't need to sleep, don't need to eat, and are Superhuman can do it. Yes, that's correct, I'm one of those very special freaks, actually one in a million the statistics show. From 6:10 am till 9:15 am I was working on booking orders, pricing and receiving new 2012 product at the shop. After that it was home for some stock market research, digging deep into the piles of data to come up with a guaranteed loser. And as I always do, I found another big one. Yes folks, the Mighty Casey has struck out again. I think from here on in I'll resort to the dart board on the office wall to pick the stocks that will form the backbone of my "Financial Plan." Hey, I lost my shirt in the market today, I'm dog tired, but my Leafs won again last night, and that's got to be worth its weight in gold. Sitting in first place for almost a month now, is starting to feel pretty darn good. Pretty darn good? Well actually Great! I'd say by about noon, my focus swings toward the Ten Mile House, and the rather tentative position I am now saddled with. I write some notes, type up a proposal and head in to Bedford to pay my rent and discuss some options with my very good Landlord. On the way I see three new properties that are available for lease, so as some of you may know, times are tough, and although I hate to see others being forced to the sidelines, it does make my job of finding a new space if need be, a bit easier. So for now, the Ten Mile House is still our home, I hope it will be home for a long while yet, but only time will tell. I'm slated to open the shop tomorrow morning at 10, and that means I may not get a run in until later in the day. Planned on heading out this afternoon, but decided that this evening I'd take care of supper by cooking up a Canadian and Greek pizza from scratch, and that's exactly what I did. Delicious? Of course they were, I made them, silly question! After supper it was time to review the days events, and see what I had missed. The only thing left on my "to do list" is to review the shop budgets for November/December. Well that's as good a reason as any to get up early tomorrow morning and do it all again. Have a great night folks! This puppy is dog tired and heading to bed.

I Have A Million Reasons
October 31, 2011, 10:25 p.m.

Wow, where has the time gone? It's been almost two weeks to the day since I've last posted. Feeling lucky are we? If I had to read this stuff, I'd feel the same way. Alright, where do I begin. Busy? Yes, but a different type of busy. Trying to get all the 2012 season orders in, trying to get our staff trained up and ready for the new season, trying to get all my retirement stuff in order, and trying NOT to count the days until I'm officially finished at the dreaded Nuclear Plant. Busy digesting the developments that will impact our business and its ability to stay in the friendly confines of the Ten Mile House. So, in summary, yes busy. But let's look on the bright side, HST was filed and paid today, my staff are running to the bank this evening with their big cheques because its payday, and I'm finally getting around to doing a quick house cleaning of the web site after finishing my second day at the Plant, listening to MGood, and sipping on the best beer in the World, Garrison IPA, all of this following a wonderfully scary post-work Halloween 8K run. As some of you may know I like my hockey and my hometown BBall, so after a long drought, things are looking up. The Rainmen start next weekend, and the Leafs are sitting on Top of the World, where they belong, and yes, as you may know, I enjoy rubbing the faces of the poor slugs that are Hab fans out there (trust me, they are quickly dropping off) in the poop that they create such as their win/loss record for first part of the season. No higher than 5th last in the NHL, with no hope of anything better, I'd suggest you Hab fans quickly put the old Rouge/Blanc/Bleau jerseys out in the compost bin, (because the garbage guys won't take them, they're totally worthless) and buy a true blue and white replica and rejoice in the season of all seasons that is guaranteed to unfold. Have to admit, that HAB bashing sure feels good. Sort of like a great bike ride, in the drops, bare naked, hey, sort of like the photo of me above. Listen this evening I could go on for a while, but my goal is to touch base on a regular basis, instead of rambling on for hours on end once a month, so I'll cut things short, and ask you to check in soon, for new news, new exuses, and if all goes well, new Events and info on the Ten Mile House. Good Night!

When I Grow Up I want To Be...
October 18, 2011, 8:12 p.m.

Hi Folks, it's been a while, but that's OK, always better late than never. What a day eh? Notice the Canadian accent there, eh? Yes, we get it Barry, we get it! Alright, moving right along, got off this morning from the nuclear plant at 6 am, went to bed for three hours and then put the pedal to the metal. Well not really, but I did accomplish a fair bit for a day that I should have spent wasting away by sleeping. I still don't get it, as much as I tell people sleeping and eating is highly overrated, they just keep following their misguided instincts which are obviously all wrong. So that leads me nicely into my next transition piece and an explanation for this evenings blog title, "When I grow up I want to be..." You see as a child, I often had relatives, neighbours, and friends ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. That was many years ago, and obviously it's not a question asked any more by anybody, because it sets one up for a great deal of embarrassment. What do you mean BMan? Well, way back in the day when I was a kid, you had, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs, carpenters, etc. Everybody knew what your options were, and what that job entailed. But today? I want to be a computer system analyst. What the Hell is that? I know what a computer is, but not how to use it, I know what a system is, "that's a term used a lot in hockey", and an analyst analyses stuff right? So my guess is a computer system analyst sits in front of a computer and studies hockey systems and their productivity. Is that correct? Does that sound feasible? Someone pays you to do that, or am I just an idiot? Better yet, don't answer that, and by the way I don't care what you want to be when you grow up. See what I mean?
Alright, after that distraction, bare with me folks, there is a very distant connection to that previous ramble that will justify me mentioning it. I will tell you that as my ever nearing retirement date from the nuclear plant gains ground, I am being constantly reminded by my customers that my time must be winding down. Yes? Correct. Excited? Yes, correct again. Can't wait? Damn right on that point as well! So with that, I have envisioned the parallel of retirement to growing up. What I have done for the past 32 years has paid me well, it has supported my family and provided all of us with many wonderful benefits. But my heart has not been in my "real" job for many years now, 19 years to be exact. Since that time I've been constantly growing up, constantly wishing and longing for the day where I could truly "apply my magic" to the business I created back then, Bicycles Plus. So on December 20, 2012 I will officially grow up, and I want everybody to know that when I grow up I want to own/operate the best bike shop in North America. Do I have a lot of work to do? You bet I do! Am I looking forward to it? I think you know the answer to that one. Thanks for checking in and have a great evening.

It Doesn't Get Any "Gooder" Than That!
October 14, 2011, 12:54 a.m.

I can see it now, a CBC news exclusive at six this evening, interviewing a true Nova Scotia icon, a local fisherman, standing on his boat, lobster traps stacked high, both feet firmly planted commenting on Matt Goods Halifax concert this past evening saying, "It doesn't get a Gooder than that." Well, one couldn't get a better or more accurate report, because that was exactly how the night unfolded and the performance went. This week has been rather stressful for many reasons, and when that happens, I tend to go into a shell. So as easy as it would have been for me to skip this evenings concert, I made sure I didn't. Why? Here are my reasons. I'll start with the selfish one first and move on from there. First off, I need something special to pull me away from one of my addictions, work, once and while, and this evening was very special and just what the doctor ordered. Matt Good's music has been with me since the days Krista Fraser managed the shop back in the 90's at the old Hammond Center. Song after song Matt Good has had me hooked. How bad is it when a musician is out promoting his "new" album and you're already searching the web for new tunes from them. That's just the way it is, so this evening as I listened to new, old, and yet to be released music, I was in "Good Heaven." It was also Good to see Matt has lost a lot of weight and seems pumped about the new band and it's sound. Off the subject of music for a second, and only a second, a bunch of stuff has taken place this week, and I've not had a chance to blog about it. Looking forward to the beginning of my "new career" in January, and hanging out at the place (the shop) I've wanted to hang out at for the past 19 years. It's all a blur now, and I'm so close to the finish line I can taste it. And for the punch line of this blog, I will comment on what the future holds for me and say, "It doesn't get any Gooder than that." Please have a "Good" night!

Dad Strength?
October 7, 2011, 8:04 p.m.

Just finished up a trying and tiring day at the nuclear plant, and I walk into the house and know Nicky is home. How so, you say? I open the fridge, and all semblance of edible food has vaporized from the shelves. Yes the occasional clove of garlic and drooping celery stalk can still be found in "the treasure chest" but otherwise it's been totally cleaned. Nicky? Who's that? My number two Son, who has been in Korea for the past year teaching, and has dropped in for a recharge before his next adventure to Australia begins. All kidding aside, it's great to have him home, as well as Steph and Lexar. If only I can persuade Jeff to move back in with us, then we'll be the perfect movie set for a remake of the famous 70's TV series "All In The Family". Next up, the predicted weather for the long weekend. Sound amazing or what? Excitement abounds, plans are made, and great expectations will be achieved and surpassed. I'll be at the shop tomorrow, and my guess is there will be lots of folks flowing through the old building. Wonderful Fall days get active folks as excited as wonderful Spring days, so I really look forward to the Saturday. Anything new on the old building did I hear someone from the back ask? Yes, actually there is. For now the potential purchase/sale of the old building is on hold, doesn't mean it won't happen, but the chances of it happening, has diminished a bit. So, just like before, stay tuned. Have an idea? Know a space that you think would work? Know a friend who can help? Let me know. I've already had great ideas, and great friends offer to help in some way that I hadn't thought of, and I thank all of you for that. Totally open to more...let me know. OK, onto the topic of the evening, one that has been sitting for a while in the back of my mind, but has recently been brought to the forefront by one of my customers. You see, I own something some of you already have, but what many more of you would absolutely kill for. (trust me, I mean that in all sincerity)) What is it? Bikes? Money? Cars? Women? Sorry, all bad guesses! It's "Dad Strength"! That's right, "Dad Strength"! Alright, now we're all confused? "Dad Strength", never heard of it. Well seeing my focus is "Dad Strength" this evening, I'll quickly tell you that "Mom Strength" is shown only when "Dad Strength" fails. In all honestly, as a kid, ya, go ahead and laugh, someone that old was actually a kid? Yes back in the day, I'd be at the table starving after spending two days straight on the streets of South Woodside playing ground hockey in the middle of February, and scoring the winning goal of the game, I might add. We'd sit down to supper and start serving the food, and on Sunday, it was often a roast beast. So with the beast we'd have smashed potatoes, gravy, and homemade jar of mustard pickles. We all loved those pickles, and as the new jar sat at the center of the table it quickly became the focus of attention. Isn't it funny how cracking open a new bottle/jar of anything is special. Popping the top of a bottle of champagne, pulling the cork out of a wine bottle, opening the new jar of jam, or peanut butter. Get the picture? The feeling is just so exciting and so exclusive, you never lose your desire to be a part of the process. So once settled at the table, our arms would shoot out in a cobra like fashion and grab the bottle of pickles. We'd try, we'd wince in pain, we'd try again, and then submit to the fact that there was no way we could break the seal on the bottle. Dad? Could you use you "Dad Strength" to open this I'd say politely. My Dad, always willing to help any of us, never once hesitated even though he should have known he was being set up for failure. He'd grab the jar, place his big paws over the jar to the point it was actually no longer visible. Then he'd begin to introduce the tremendous torgue he produced from his hairy forearms that looked like large dark stovepipes, followed by his massive biceps and hulk-like body. He'd bend at the waist, he'd grunt, grunt again, then shake his head, and after a bit admit defeat. Then his head would bow down, he'd move toward my Mom and say, "Shirley, you want to try?" Smiling, smirking, knowing that she'd be successful, (because she'd already done it many times before) my Mom would gracefully, and effortlessly, like a ballerina doing a pirouette, spin the top of the jar off and then generously begin the put a spoonful of her very own home made pickles one every bodies plates. So although this blog was supposed to talk about Dad Strength, it looks like it's morphed into something totally different, like many of my blogs do, which is fine, because it just means I have something foolish to write about in the very near future. Thanksgiving? Yes, this weekend, and an absolutely wonderful day. Next to Christmas, it's my favourite Holiday. Great food, cherished family surrounding you, and wonderful weather to boot. I hope everybody enjoys the special times we are able to share together this weekend, and that we don't forget to be thankful for all the wonderful things we enjoy. We are truly blessed to experience such wonderful gifts this Thanksgiving, including "Mom Strength".

Roller Coaster Ride
October 3, 2011, 9:57 p.m.

Summer in October? Sure feels that way, and hey I don't hear any of you complaining. Sitting here listening to a Canadian female musician (lives in Canada but comes from California) called Shari Ulrich who has played with Barney Bentall in the past. The sound, a bit country-ish, a bit spiritual, sort of like Barney, and a nice change from my usually plate full of music that I dine on evening after evening. Today was one of those roller coaster days I've talked about in past blogs. Get out of bed, down ten cups of Java, and then hop in the roller coaster, hang on for dear life, try not to look scared, put on a brave face, and smile alot even though it doesn't feel natural, and after the ride is all over, be thankful its finished and now a thing of the past. Yes, a challenging day, but by muddling through these tough days, it means the really good days are just around the corner. That's the way life is, always full of excitement, always twisting and turning, hey that's it, just like a roller coaster. So what do you do after the roller coaster ride? You go home, go for a great run, enjoy the adrenaline rush, have a hot shower, sip on a great ice cold home grown brew, today a Garrison HopYard. You search out old friends, your favourite tunes, look for something new, and give it a listen. And that's where I am right now. Checked out a movie yesterday, I don't get out much, but because it was such a wet day, Kristie and I went to see 50/50. Guys, if you go, make sure you take your sunglasses, (to hide the tears) Jesus I hate that. Even when I try to think of something totally remote, turn my head a way from the screen, the music still makes the tears run down my cheeks. As tough guys, which I am, and we all are, we can't allow anybody to see us in such a state, so again guys, sunglasses, and a very dark corner of the theatre if you attend. Funny/crude guy Seth Rogen, actually fits well into this otherwise goody two shoes movie. Old guys smoking grass, good music, love and cancer, seems like a strange mix to me, but it works well. My rating? Two thumbs up, for what that's worth. You see when I heard everyone saying what great reviews it got once we were seated in the theatre, I began to get very concerned. If movies get good reviews, they're usually poor. When they get great reviews, you can be guaranteed they're crap. Why? I think it has to do with drinking Coca Cola, no really that was another silly past blog, making no sense at all am I? That's because I haven't had an IPA to straighten out my mind today. An IPA is like getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer, the first one hurts, the second and third, well they just put a silly smile on you face and make everything in the world just seem right. Where was I? Yes, back on track, movies that get great reviews, real reviews from professional critics, well there lies the problem. These folks look for and see stuff normal folks don't see or don't care about. Can you follow the story? Does it make you laugh and feel good? Well that movie will get terrible reviews. The "professionals" will say that it doesn't challenge you. Hell, I'm challenged in almost everything I do these days. When I want to enjoy myself, I'm sorry, but I'd prefer to not to be challenged. A feel good movie, sorry that is so passe'. Instead, when the "great" movies are finished you get out of your seat and say to yourself "What the Hell was that all about? I certainly have no idea!" So by now you can see why I don't rate many movies, and try to never go see the "very best." Waynes World? Yes definitely the best of all times, and it didn't even get half a thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert. Moving quite nicely from music to movies and then back into music, I just downloaded from ITunes a 2006 release from Barney B called Gift Horse, and I'm loving it. So the roller coaster ride is over, the evening has been awesome, I've had some fun with this post, and tomorrow is already setting up to be a great day. Take care and good night! Oh yes, stay away from roller coasters if you can.

Kudos To The Joe Howe Century
September 25, 2011, 9:22 p.m.

Pretty impressive I'd say! Yes the weather was perfect, the cycling desire perhaps pent up, but wow what a turn out for the Joe Howe Century today. I had the pleasure of being out for an eight K run, a motorized vehicle trip into Bedford to the beloved Ten Mile House and a few other activities today, and each and every time I was on the old Truro Highway I saw streams of cyclists going by celebrating what some would say is the beginning of the wonderful sunset of the current cycling season. Now there are those who will argue this, the hard cores, the nuts, the fanatics, who will ride year round. Do you know one of these poor misguided bastards? If not, please let me introduce myself! Come Dec. 17th, 2011 when I officially retire from the Nuclear Plant, after 32+ years of professional guess work, I'll be one of them. That's right, no matter what the temps, no matter what the forecast, I'll be riding my bike to work. Aaron Perrott, one of our shop service techs is another example of a nut. Hey, so is Eric Weaver, Lisa Bowe and soon to be Zach Steinman. Actually when I take a serious look around the shop, most of the staff are nuts...nuts about bikes that is, and most bike shop owners would kill to have the nuts I have working with me. Cyclists, passionate about their health, their sport, their lifestyle, and their shop. "Turn the ship to the starboard please good Sir." "Yes Sir, my Captain." Wasn't that easy? OK so what else do I want to say this evening? Worked for at least six hours today on my accounting and haven't made a dent. Cooking the books takes a lot of time, I think I'll order a deep fryer for Christmas, something that will cook them faster. Thought about doing up a tentative schedule, post 48 hour Nuclear plant hours, and here is how it looks. Commit to taking one hour a day to train on fitness. Take 30 minutes a day to read the latest and greatest on bikes. Add an hour a day to interacting with social media channels and keeping current with my customer emails instead of being days behind. How about spending one Saturday a month not working, but with my family, hanging out, doing things with my kids, and being a cool Dad instead of a negligent one. The list goes on and on, and in all honesty, I'll probably run out of "free" hours just like I do now, but I'm sure it will be a much better place than I am presently. Enough about me, what's hapenning in the World? Oh yes, we're going down the tubes again, if you haven't read. Recession first, then a depression, then the grand finale, Apocalypse, actually I added that, they're not predicting that till next week. Good God, when will it end? Canada? We're good, don't worry. Need more money, just add a tax. Need some more money because things aren't all that well, increase the tax, and don't fix that pothole everybody's been calling about. Put the orange pylon in the hole, and we'll take care of it in another decade if we last that long. Are we as Canadians OK with this? You bet, better yet, we're proud of our frugalness. And you know what, that's what makes Canada a great place and a lousy place to live in, all at the same time. If we we're in Greece, we'd be rioting in the streets. We'd be burning the pylon, hey, we'd burn a couple of government buildings as well, just to show those bastards that we mean business. But what business are the Greek people in? A business that asks the government to spend much more than the people who fund the government projects and expenditures with their taxes are willing to pay? This is a way one street to Hellifax, and that's where Greece is headed. It's a small country, a small economy, and it needs to drop of the face of the Earth, to show the "Big Guys" just what happens to those who play the dangerous game of spend, spend, and spend some more. Proud to be a Canadian? You bet! Like potholes? Not really, but I understand your dollar only goes so far, and sometimes things have to wait. Have a great fiscal evening, enjoy life, and keep in mind, the World is a wonderful place to live in, and the "News as we know it" always tries to destroy or distort that fact.

Blue Sky High For The Lucky Guy
September 21, 2011, 10:09 p.m.

Wow, how much better can it get? The sun shined on all of us Scotians today, and as a result the day developed and transformed itself into an almost dreamlike state by the end. Good news, exciting news, good friends offering to help where they can, a quiet day at the nuclear plant, a great post workday 8K run, and then to put this great day to rest, I plan on finishing it off with a killer post to the Bike Shop Blog. The day began with sun, and lots of it, followed by heat, and lots of it. If you know me at all, you know I love the heat, so right away things started looking up. Then an email from someone I didn't know checked this blog, someone who may be able to offer a lot of assistance and expertise in our relocation process, if need be. Cool, actually, more like very cool. This silly, nonsensical blog is perused by many more of you than I first thought, and that is very promising indeed as we move toward more social media contact with you in the future. Communication? It's key to absolutely everything we do these days, and we hope to utilize it to take our service to you to another level...stay tuned. OK where was I? Yes, the heat, it was good, very good, and then the email, a meeting of minds tomorrow to see if we can top the Ten Mile House location. Lots of changes, lots of questions, and yup, lots of money, but like I promised all of you, our goal is to always move forward, and that is still our plan. Enough on that front for now, I don't mean to keep you hanging, but if I have, that's what I'm supposed to do to get you coming back to get more updates in the future...lol. Now moving onto my run. This evening, it turned out to be a celebration more than just a run. Two day shifts done, potential good news on a new site, the sun, the heat, all into a wonderful run. I'm still sitting here in my running gear, at the keyboard, listening to Matt Good who I will see live later next month, can't wait actually, and thanking whoever it is that takes care of all things for my family and I day in and day out. You see, I've gone ahead and taken the liberty of labelling myself "the lucky guy." Sure I work hard, but so does everybody else these days. I've been blessed with a wonderful family, wonderful health, and a wonderful life. Today, I'm on top of the World, I'm the King of the Castle, and nobody can or will change that, nobody! I hope you're at my side, and in the same positive frame of mind. Thanks for checking in, from "the lucky guy" who is on a Blue Sky High.