A wintery drive to Drumheller
I met my friend Nancy when I first joined Critical Mass in April 2000. She was my first project manager, as we slugged away at the Proctor & Gamble Presiva project (it’s a fringe product that thankfully died out …
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The last tooth has been lost
Well Monkey, you’ve hit a milestone: today, you lost the last of your baby teeth. You told me you pulled it yourself (rather brave, if I do say so myself), and presented it to me like a strange kind of trophy. Your last …
20 years from Ontario
Two decades ago today, I did something immensely stupid: I left home. Literally and figuratively. Twenty years ago, I was still sleeping in my room on Gatestone Avenue in Oakville. While I had lived on my own at …
The kids' first New Years Eve
Okay, to be fair, Monkey is now 10, and Choo Choo is rapidly approaching 8. They’ve seen “New Years Eve” a few times, but they’ve been more the family-friendly type. Staying up to midnight is the new thing. …
10 Years a Monkey
Dear Monkey, Ten years. A decade. Where do I start? Not the beginning. I’ve done that nearly every year for the last nine. Truth is, and as much as it’s hard for me to accept, you’re not my little baby anymore. You’re …
Marketing is common sense
I’ve worked in the marketing industry, in one form or another, since the mid-1990s (save for a couple-year break when I did technical writing, but we’ll ignore that for now). I’ve seen a lot in those many (many) years, …
Why calling people "cowboys" is wrong
You follow standards, you follow procedures, you follow policies. You’re making sure that things are done consistently, on schedule, on budget. You’re one of those people who have ensured that their work (and their …
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Things I learned by leaving social media
On 8 November 2016, Americans elected their new president, whom I hope to never have to publicly acknowledge. That night, I came to a rather painful conclusion: I needed to abandon social media for a while. In this …
Disney World 2016 - Twas the day before Christmas
The Art of Animation Resort had left information on our door regarding our DME pickup. We had until 1:30pm to relax, do any final shopping, and pack. For our final breakfast, we went to Pop Century, to experience their …
Disney World 2016 - Magic Kingdom
This was the day I’d been waiting for since June. I have nothing against Epcot or Animal Kingdom, and I very much love the Kennedy Space Center. But when it comes to magic, the closest I’ll ever get to witnessing real …