I’m pretty privileged; I get to go a lot of fun places and do a lot of cool stuff. I know a lot of really great people of stature and esteem and have had some pretty amazing experiences over the years. But today I stumbled into one of those golden moments that reminded me of where the real treasure lies: in small pleasures.

My nephew and his family were stranded on the side of the QEII with a broken fan belt. We grabbed the needed item and scooted up the highway to where they sat. While The Man and The Nephew laboured away under the hood, I opened the door to the back seat and visited with the three little boys (and their mommy) all strapped neatly in their seats. Great-nephew #1 excitedly told me about his spiderman backpack and his spiderman lunch kit and showed me his spiderman shoes, all new items in preparation for his journey into the big wide world of school. Great-nephew #2, the two-year old, took my fingers and used them  to count to ten. In Spanish. Great-nephew #3 hollered indecipherably at me until I smothered his chubby cheeks with kisses so he would reward me with his wonderful baby laugh. When all was said and done, we followed behind them for a few kms to make sure they were going to be okay. Great-nephew #1 looked out the back window at us, smiled and gave a little wave.

I have many pleasures in my life. I’m not rich by any stretch but I have my share of treasures - certainly everything materially that I need. But I was reminded today where the real pleasures, the real treasures are, and I can unequivocably declare that my time on the side of the QEII with those precious little treasures trumps dinner with the Premier (or whomever) any time.

Earlier this evening I had the pleasure of attending a Red Deer Tweetup, hosted by Lorne Daniel at the Grandview Consulting offices.

By the time everyone trickled in we had over a dozen in attendance. This was the third one that’s been held, but my first, and it appears there is a good core group if forming. The purpose of these meetups are for people in a community who are on Twitter to get together face-to-face, meet one another and talk about all things Twitter, and of course, the whole social media arena.

Although we did fulfill the purpose of the gathering – I actually learned about aspects of Twitter I didn’t know about, along with other online stuff – mostly it was just good fun. I knew about half the people there, and I really enjoyed meeting the folks to whom I’ve been connected on Twitter but hadn’t met in person. These are some funny, interesting, quality peeps!

I have a dozen great stories about the side benefits of Twitter, and I am a firm believer in it as an information and dialogue tool, but now I also have a great new network of friends. AND SO…http://www.robgilgan.ca/wordpress/and I are going to arrange for the Chamber to host the next Tweetup, where I look forward to getting to know more terrific #REDDEER Tweeps.

Sometimes I wonder if I am a terrible person.

The issue is inappropriate laughter.

First off, there is Type #1: Loud, Misplaced Inappropriate Laughter. I do it all the time. For example, someone will say something completely innocuous in a business meeting, or at a business luncheon, or at a conference or seminar. Church even. If it strikes my funny bone, a big ol’ ”BAAHAHA!” will have escaped my throat before I can reel it in. This is immediately followed by a startled pause by the speaker, some disdainful sideways glances from others and skitters of nervous laughter by others who are either sympathetic or just confused. I see this sort of behaviour in movies or on TV shows ofttimes. You know, Jack Black or Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell or Steve Carrell will burst out laughing at a really bad time, followed by the sound of crickets. But they’re always playing dorks for this bit, which clearly differentiates me from them…

Then there’s Type #2: Cruel, Insensitive Inappropriate Laughter. If someone trips or falls, most normal people rush over, ooze concern and immediately offer assistance. I’ll do the same but have to factor in a five second delay while I get my giggles under control. I know I am not alone on this one, though. The popularity of websites like FAILBLOG and shows like AFV tell me there are others like me. I mean, how is having a Christmas tree fall on Grandma funny? Dunno, but here we are. Well, I kinda know: it’s not that it IS funny, it just LOOKS funny. The wig, the glasses, the upended legs. Come ON, people, as long as she doesn’t actually get hurt - that is funny!

In fairness, on the cruel laughter thing, I have incredibly poor coordination. Most of my best stories are about my own mishaps and accidents (well, except for the ones about my Mom. Those are pretty good, too). I’ve fallen into a grand piano, hacked my hand open with an axe, closed a bag clip on my lip during a business call, broken my tail bone slipping on ice… all of these are treasured memories that still make me laugh myself sick. My point is that I laugh at myself too, not just at others. Just sayin’.

Oh, and back to Type #1: Loud, Misplaced Inappropriate Laughter - I should also mention my habit of blurting out smart remarks that pop into my head during these times. This can sometimes lead to Type #1 laughter by those around me. That’s right: if I’m goin’ down, I’m not goin’ alone.

Tell me you’re with me on this. Please.

Dean Owen of Brass Media and RDTV.ca just released an interview he conducted with me a little while ago on the topic of women in politics. He did an outstanding job and I am very grateful!

Whether you’re a woman considering running for an elected position, or just someone who wants to understand why we’d need to promote women in politics, you’ll want to watch this interview. I welcome your questions and comments.

The Door Steadily Opens

The Abyssinian Restaurant: Ethiopian Food Extraordinaire

We’ve had a terrific vacation this summer. For the first ten days we worked on yard projects and reno prep, and that felt really great. Then we decided we needed a little get-away and went down to Lethbridge for a few days. I had been there in May for a conference and thought The Man would enjoy all there is to do and see down there. We were not disappointed. 

The hotel we chose was… less than stellar, unfortunately, but it was clean and offered an incredible location. It was situated between the coulees – literally, the trails began at the end of the parking lot – and the terrific downtown district. 

We had a blast. We rode our bikes, went on some far-too-ambitious hikes, golfed, shopped, dined in some phenomenal restaurants on such feasts as steak, sushi, and Ethiopian food, visited a small Farmer’s Market, enjoyed a very quaint dinner theatre at Fort Whoop Up, took in a very talented blues band at a local club, relaxed and reconnected. Truthfully, I had a better time hanging out in this gorgeous and interesting Alberta community than I’ve had on many a far away trip. 

The Train Bridge

Down into the coulees

The Man and I discussed the notion of taking trips around Alberta and visiting historic sites and really getting familiar with all the richness, beauty and fun the communities in this province of ours have to offer. I think we’re gonna do that over the next few years. I love Alberta and want to know it better. 

If you’re interested in a similar pursuit, start with Lethbridge and Red Deer for certain! I highly recommend them both. 

Enjoy the pix. 

Relaxing and Reconnecting