Today was okay. Except for what I am assuming was food poisoning picked up from last night's dinner. That's okay. Initially I needed to lose five pounds, but now I only need to lose three. Ugh.
Went to my step-grandfather's 90th birthday at the Marine Drive Golf Club (coincidentally on Marine Drive!). It was actually a really great time. Ed's grandson's all took turns dressing up as him during a different period during his life, and Ed's side of the family made a great effort to include my side (or my nana's side) of the family in the festivities. It must have been hard to celebrate their father's 90th birthday without thinking of their mother, since deceased. The dinner was superb, as was the location. There's a million jokes that I could make about spending my Saturday night at a members-only golf club in Kerrisdale but I've had a couple of conversations with people in recent days that prohibits that.
A lot of people work very hard in their lives and they don't get a break. They have no "lucky bounce". In my profile I mention that "it has been medically proven that I was born with a horseshoe up my ass", and I stand by that. I know people that have significantly more education than I do, that work harder and longer hours than I do and that have sacrificed more than I ever have and they still haven't gotten ahead. Me? I've never really had to want for anything. Sure, I put myself through school and, after moving out over 10 years ago, I've never had to rely on my parents for anything. But I've also had some really lucky breaks in my life and those breaks are as responsible for me being where I am right now as my work ethic and my academic endeavors. I don't agree with the concept of "keeping up with the Jones's and I believe that as long as you are doing the best that you can, that is good enough. I also believe that if you are lucky enough to have ended up on the other end of the spectrum (i.e. being rather wealthy) you shouldn't feel bad or guilty about that either. And that's one of the things that stuck out in Ed's speech tonight. He's had a brilliant, colorful and interesting life. And, like Warren Buffet, he attributed a lot of it to luck. I respect that. Luck can make or break you. I appreciate that he didn't take credit for things that occurred to him in his life that could conceivably not have happened if his luck was off that day. I think that he is genuinely grateful and happy to be where he is today, at 90, and to be able to share his remaining years with my grandmother.
I don't know what tonight's little soiree cost them. And maybe a year ago I would've written a different blog about the cost of the vehicles in the parking lot, the attentiveness of the wait staff, and the idea of simply having dinner in a private golf club where the creme de la creme pay big bucks for their memberships. Instead I enjoyed it and felt immeasurably lucky and privileged to be able to share it with my family and with Ed's.
And goddamn. I hope I am as lucid, happy and spry as Ed when I'm 90.
Now I shall go eat chips and watch SouthPark. I'm pretty sure that's what most of the guest of tonight's gathering will be doing once they get home. What?! I'm entitled to one jibe, no??
Went to my step-grandfather's 90th birthday at the Marine Drive Golf Club (coincidentally on Marine Drive!). It was actually a really great time. Ed's grandson's all took turns dressing up as him during a different period during his life, and Ed's side of the family made a great effort to include my side (or my nana's side) of the family in the festivities. It must have been hard to celebrate their father's 90th birthday without thinking of their mother, since deceased. The dinner was superb, as was the location. There's a million jokes that I could make about spending my Saturday night at a members-only golf club in Kerrisdale but I've had a couple of conversations with people in recent days that prohibits that.
A lot of people work very hard in their lives and they don't get a break. They have no "lucky bounce". In my profile I mention that "it has been medically proven that I was born with a horseshoe up my ass", and I stand by that. I know people that have significantly more education than I do, that work harder and longer hours than I do and that have sacrificed more than I ever have and they still haven't gotten ahead. Me? I've never really had to want for anything. Sure, I put myself through school and, after moving out over 10 years ago, I've never had to rely on my parents for anything. But I've also had some really lucky breaks in my life and those breaks are as responsible for me being where I am right now as my work ethic and my academic endeavors. I don't agree with the concept of "keeping up with the Jones's and I believe that as long as you are doing the best that you can, that is good enough. I also believe that if you are lucky enough to have ended up on the other end of the spectrum (i.e. being rather wealthy) you shouldn't feel bad or guilty about that either. And that's one of the things that stuck out in Ed's speech tonight. He's had a brilliant, colorful and interesting life. And, like Warren Buffet, he attributed a lot of it to luck. I respect that. Luck can make or break you. I appreciate that he didn't take credit for things that occurred to him in his life that could conceivably not have happened if his luck was off that day. I think that he is genuinely grateful and happy to be where he is today, at 90, and to be able to share his remaining years with my grandmother.
I don't know what tonight's little soiree cost them. And maybe a year ago I would've written a different blog about the cost of the vehicles in the parking lot, the attentiveness of the wait staff, and the idea of simply having dinner in a private golf club where the creme de la creme pay big bucks for their memberships. Instead I enjoyed it and felt immeasurably lucky and privileged to be able to share it with my family and with Ed's.
And goddamn. I hope I am as lucid, happy and spry as Ed when I'm 90.
Now I shall go eat chips and watch SouthPark. I'm pretty sure that's what most of the guest of tonight's gathering will be doing once they get home. What?! I'm entitled to one jibe, no??
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