Oh geez, you've got me again

Do you remember how emotional I was feeling about seeing Toy Story 3?
I correctly predicted in the blog that seeing the movie would be a very emotional experience for me.
I'm getting a lump in my throat just thinking about it, for crying out loud...


I have to point out that the flood of emotion was not only due to the memory of Mom and Hayley but from the content of the movie itself.
At the end of the movie (spoiler alert) Andy, who has owned the toys almost his entire life is heading off to college and has packed up his car.
He takes a box with all of his best toy friends to give them to a sweet little girl who will play with them and love them as he has always done.


The final scene has Andy driving away in his car with Buzz, Woody and the others watching him leave. That dang lump in my throat hurt so much I thought I was going to choke. I freely admit that I've always been a big wimp when it comes to these things.

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am not one who takes goodbyes and kids growing up very well.
I wish that I could make time stand still sometimes. Oh man do I wish that.
But I know that's not possible and I try my teary-eyed, lump-in-my-throat best to deal with it as time passes by like a speeding locomotive.


Just this past weekend I had another of these experiences.
Cheryl has been away in Ontario because of the passing of two family members.
This left the boys and I to have what we call "Man Time".
On occasions when Cheryl is away for a night or two we have a tradition of our Man Time.
Man Time usually consists of ordering in a pizza and watching "The Magnificent Seven" together. Don't ask me how we landed on that movie but a few years ago I bought the DVD and it stuck. It just felt like a great manly movie for us and the lack of swearing and excessive bloodshed made it appropriate to me.
We've done this for a couple of years now and I totally love it. B made a comment the other day that The Magificent Seven is getting a bit boring to him but I'll pretend that I didn't hear that. He'll be okay. :)


Anyway, the guys have been great little guys while Cheryl has been away. They are helping to keep the house neat and everything else that shows how responsible they are.
I am very proud of them.


On Friday I sent Cheryl an email suggesting that I reward the boys with a day at Crystal Palace indoor amusement park in Moncton and stay in a hotel with a pool.
She agreed that was an great idea so off we went on our Man trip.
It turned out to be a lousy weather day on Saturday so I had made a perfect choice with an indoor activity.
We had a great time. I didn't do any of the rides but the guys must have done that roller coaster 50 times! They would come off and go right around into the line again and right back on!
It wasn't too crowded so waiting in lines was not an issue.


As they were riding I had a look around Crystal Palace at the other rides.

I remembered the first time we had gone there about 7 years ago. The boys were still so small back then. At least to me they were.
I looked at the little truck ride Convoy and remembered them going slowly around that little loop.
I remembered when they went on the Undersea Adventure ride which was so wild to them back then. Now they could barely fit into it.
And that great little train ride which goes slowly round and round where the kids can ring the bell. They loved that thing.


Now they are at the stage where wild roller coasters and things that spin around like tops are what amuses them.
In the old days I was allowed onto the little train and the Convoy with them. That was great. That was about my speed.
Now, I just watch.
I can't do the roller coasters like I could when I was young.

A couple of months ago I went on the Thunder Run coaster when we were at Canada's Wonderland and felt awful when it was done. That's a pretty mild roller coaster by coaster standards. Dang.
At least I tried.


I guess the important thing is that the boys still enjoy themselves. I enjoy them enjoying themselves.


At Crystal Palace I mentioned to T about the rides they loved when they were small and how they had outgrown them.
I said that one day, maybe not too far away from now, they were going to outgrow all of the rides there. Even the roller coaster.
I think he could tell that I was getting kind of misty and melancholic about it. After a few moments said that they would never outgrow Crystal Palace.
He was doing his best to make me feel better. Bless his heart.

We stayed at the Super 8 hotel in Dieppe on Saturday night.
Check this out.
We were at this hotel several years ago when Cheryl was with us. She had done some business with the hotel and they had given us a good price for the room.
We stayed in the Harry Potter room which is a pretty cool concept.
The main room is normal and has a queen bed but off of it is a smaller room for kids.
There is a bunkbed and the decor is done up in a theme from the Harry Potter movies complete with a witches hat, movie poster on the wall and a plastic broom that they rode in the movie.
When we were here before the boys both wanted to sleep in the top bunk. Fortunately we stayed for a couple of nights and they both had a turn.
This past weekend we happened to get the same Harry Potter room again.
This time was the different and neither of the boys wanted to be in the top bunk.
They said it was too small and were afraid of bumping their heads. :D
T ended up sleeping up there and it all worked out well.


We had a really great time. It would have been better if Cheryl was there but we'll be back there again.


This morning a friend of mine posted a link on Twitter saying that he wanted this awesome picture framed.
I clicked on it and there was that big old lump in my throat again.
This:



Calvin and Hobbes was one of my favourite comics of all time. It was always the funniest, saddest, smartest comic that I had ever read.
It is easily among the legends of the comic world up with Charlie Brown and Peanuts.


What I really loved was that the little guy Calvin was always just that. A little guy living in his little world doing what little guys do.
In this picture he's all grown up waving to his old pal Hobbes the tiger as Hobbes goes off with Calvin's little girl to find new adventures.
I guess you can see how this hits me right in the heart.


There's no way that I can stop or slow down this wild ride called life but I'll try to speed up to keep up.
If you ever happen to see me fallen in the dust when I couldn't please stop and help me up.


Stay well,
Tim