Obama, The Pope, and Hopia...

The CNN presentation of news is a prime example of “news as entertainment.” In my opinion events such as the inauguration of the first African American president should stand on their own merit. No need to hype them up with graphics, music and an anchor’s delivery that is akin to a sportscaster giving the play by play in finals game. Imagine the MLK "I have a Dream" speech being preceded by “Now live from Washington! At the Lincoln Memorial! Dr Martin Luther King! Let’s get ready to rumble!” Cue graphics. Cue James Earl Jones. “This is CNN.”

Anyway.

While I’m a little turned off as to how CNN is tracking the first few days of the Obama Era, I have to confess that I am highly interested in how the man is doing. Like many others I was captivated by his “audacity of hope” speech, moved by the simplicity and straightforwardness of his announcement that he was indeed running for president (caught that one on Youtube), and “yes we can!” I find myself cheering for the lanky dude!

(Lincoln was lanky too… hmmm… coincidence… I think not…)

However.

While the focus seems to be on the “but ifs” and “what ifs” should his leadership fail, I wonder what would happen if his efforts proved to be a resounding success. What if the man almost single handedly rescues the United States (of course the rest of the world and Canada would benefit from this) and thereby solidifies the land of the red, white, and blue as the one true world superpower.

Tie the above with the recent news that Vatican has detached itself from the oversight of the Italian government and asserted its own self rule. This essentially gives the church the jurisdiction to make its own laws and govern itself autonomously. Furthermore Pope Benedict has issued an edict that declares that salvation is now only possible through membership to the mother church and void from any other denomination. Both actions are merely formalities on attitudes long held by the Vatican. However, making it official does make one wonder.

So.

Connect the dots.

On a lighter note...

The Hopia era is coming!

Are you ready?

The Road to Forever Peter and Patricia...

I feel like a bum for taking a day off even though I am also proud that this is the first sick day I’ve taken from work ever since I started. I do plan to go back to work tomorrow and I am mentally preparing myself to “get back into the war”.

Yesterday I was irritated by the fact that my co-worker informed that we’d have to do double runs to Calgary in order to bring back two trucks that were needed for customers this morning. I was already feeling the creeping in of a sore throat and head cold so I just wanted to go home. My only incentive was that she informed me that I’d be driving a Ford Fusion down that needed to be sent “out of fleet”. I perked up because I love Fusions.

Now I am generally not a domestic car fan. I don’t know whether it’s genetic or a result of conditioning but I definitely fit the cliché of an Asian who is into imports. I love the last generation M3, the new Nissan GTR, and taking my younger sister’s Corolla out for a spin is a fun thing. However few realize that the Ford Fusion is based on the architecture of the current generation Mazda 6. So technically it isn’t really an import just a hybrid of sorts. You know how I like the concept of “hybreeding” a la my Specialized Sirrus Sport.

Anyway I had to take back the unit to Budget’s distribution center because it was going “out of fleet.” This basically means that it was slated for retirement and would either face the fate of being returned to the dealership it had been leased from or sold at an auction. Budget loves having brand new cars to rent out. This amazes me because the odometer on this car only read 17,500 km on it and it drove just as well as some of the units that we have that have only 400 km on them. I had personally chosen this unit when on two trips to Banff and enjoyed the way it inspired confidence even during slippery conditions.

There is something almost spiritual about taking a performance car out on a highway run. I don’t know if it is the feel of the suspension as it adjust to the road conditions, the whirr of the engine as you effortlessly climb up the gears or the tunes playing on a decent stereo system. Heck its all the above when it comes to the Fusion.

I am at peace as I drive even though my heart races.

Peter and Patricia

Enough about cars…

I’d like to take a moment to offer congrats and blessings to Peter and Patricia as they tie the knot this coming weekend back in Toronto. I have observed this couple throughout various stages of their relationship (I was there the night they met!) and I can say with complete confidence that they were meant for each other.

Peter has been a loyal and trustworthy friend ever since my days at Crawford back in the early to mid 90s (are we that old dude!?) I am sure I speak for more than myself when I say that he is truly a person you can count on to come through when you need his help. Without him I don’t know how I would have survived my first few years back in Toronto. I am forever grateful to him for that time!

Patricia is a perfect match for Peter’s positive outlook on life. Here is a woman who shows what it means to “stand by your man.” Peter is known for his long distance runs across Ontario to meet his familial obligations and Patricia has been his constant and supportive companion.

Overtime the vibe between this two has matured and grown. There is an air of knowing that they are a part of something built on a foundation of trust based on experiences shared together. It is not so much that they are smitten by each other (even though they are!) but rather the calm of something that is meant to last.

Tess and I regret that we will not be able to make it out this coming weekend to join in your celebrations. We have talked about coming out but right now our responsibilities here in Alberta are preventing us from taking any time off to do so. Seems 2009 is off to a running start and we are trying to be prudent in our decision even though events like your nuptials are sadly missed.

We do hope to meet up with you in the future. But for now nothing but the best blessings and wishes are sent from us out here in the west. May all the happiness and joy that you share with others be returned a hundred fold throughout your lives together.

And So We Begin Again...

So my gear is all set for tomorrow and the trip I’m going to take with my Dad to Edmonton. The second of January is on its way out and I’m realizing that the New Year has come and gone without some needed reflection.

This was a subdued passing and rightly so for I spent it caring for my invalid girlfriend who was experiencing flu, a sore throat, and an elusive sinus infection. I think it was the first time she had gone through this ordeal (or rite of passage if you will) and I felt deeply for her.

Earlier in the day (the 31st) my boss and asked me to do favor for him. He wanted me to drive a 5 ton truck south to Calgary in exchange for the free use of a vehicle over New Year’s Eve. I had been debating whether to visit Tess since I was trying to save money. But when I learned that she was sick, I had reserved a car and was prepared to suck up the expense. Hence I jumped at the Zach’s proposal.

Later perched in the cabin of the near semi sized transport truck I gaze out on the frozen landscape that stretches both east west on both sides of the Albertan highway. The term “magnificent desolation” crept quietly into my thoughts even though a massive diesel engine propelled the beast forward through the blowing snow. I smiled at the emptiness because it seemed to bring peace to my soul.

I’ve been year less than a year and yet so much has transpired especially in the past 6 months. This is my “great adventure” this is my “great unknown” and I feel alive even though I have no clue what is around the corner. All I know is that the more I embrace challenges especially having to do with things I thought I’d never do in my life (sell rental contracts, drive semi trucks, and brave Alberta weather) … yeah the more I feel alive.

New Years Day would be eventful with Tess taking a turn for the worse and us ending up in the emergency room of the only hospital in Banff. We would have to deal with a Doctor prescribing medication that would be too strong for her and her vomiting so violently that she’d have to be put on an I.V. in order to restore the nutrient she had lost during the episode. I held her hand through it all and she squeezed it tightly with both trust and fear as she looked at me… And we survived.

I would then find myself driving home to Red Deer in near blizzard weather thankful that the free rental I had gotten was a Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 quarter ton truck that kept a steady pace through the snow and whiteout conditions. Again I would survive and end up home safely.

I think of my friend Karl and our late night conversations during my basement days in Andrews. I wonder what he would think about all this. For sure one of the things I learned from his brief life is that you can never be sure about where your life will take you or how much time you have. Here one moment gone the next. So passed Karl.

The Lord chose to take him at that time and I trust He knew what He was doing. For some reason I feel like my fate will be different. I believe I am meant to see things and I pray learn from them. For what ultimate purpose? I have yet to find out.

But till then, the saga continues.