Wednesday, March 27, 2013

What does drinking and driving get you these days?

There has only been one Tim in my life for many, many years, but as some of you know, last July, another Tim entered our lives and changed them forever.  On July 18th Tim Bland made the decision to get behind the wheel of his car, and drive.  He was driving on the wrong side of a divided road here in Fort McMurray when he hit my husband head on.  I will never forget the terror I felt that day in getting that call and making my way to the scene of the accident, less than a kilometre from our door step.  I will never forget bargaining with God that if he let my Tim be okay I promised to be a better wife, mother, whatever I could do....just let my husband be okay.  It was an unbearably long day waiting for surgery, and then waiting for him to wake up.  It was terrifying to bring him home when he could not walk, and had to rely on me for everything during those first few weeks.  And it was an experience that made us realize, once again, just how quickly life can change.

Well, today, fairly quickly from what we have heard, the other Tim was sentenced for his drinking and driving.  We did not know what to expect, but we were told over and over not to expect jail time.  And  in reading  verdicts in papers for other cases, we came to think that there would be no jail time.  So we were surprised today when he received a nine month jail term, to begin next month.  But on top of that, he will not have a license for three years, and will have nine months probation upon his release from jail.  I have to admit, thinking that he will be unable to drive for three years makes me feel a little better, and I can only hope that he will never take a drink again so that he will not make such a terrible decision again.  I also think that a nine month sentence was fair, although everyone seemed very surprised by the decision, as the judge said that she wanted to send a strong message to the community that drinking and driving on our roads in Fort McMurray is not okay.  I like that message, we have heard too many stories of people injured right here in the city since Tim's collision.  His time almost matches the time that hubby had to be off work.  I hope that when he is incarcerated he will think of how Tim suffered those months, and how much our lives all changed.

My Tim went back to work completely last Monday, and has already been out of town for meetings, lol, so some may think that he is back to his intense busy self.  But he still has pain, we don't know if his hip will ever be the same, as the pins that they put in may have to come out.  He is still doing physio, trying to gain his strength back in his leg, and he is trying acupuncture as well for some pain relief.  In typical Tim fashion today, he actually feels bad for man who caused him so much pain...I told him he was crazy, I hope that his life is better from here, but I don't feel sorry for him.  I saw my husband suffer too many nights and worry until he was completely stressed out about bills during the last few months, there will be no sympathy from me.

My only hope is that someone will hear our story, and if they have a few too many drinks some night, they will remember and call a cab, or stay where they are instead of risking changing many lives forever.  And I hope that judges continue to surprise people and give some sentences that will send a message that drinking and driving on the roads of Fort McMurray will not get you a slap on the wrist.


Monday, March 25, 2013

How is the weight loss going?

It's Monday, so here I am, telling you my weight again!  Let me tell you, this has been a humbling experience, and I want to thank every single one of you who has shared your story, sent encouragement or just told me I was crazy for posting my numbers here.  I have not gained once since I joined Tops in January, and tonight I was down another three whole pounds!

Of course, I am a bit nervous with the Easter weekend fast approaching.  I know that it will be hard to resist overeating all the good treats and of course, there will be wonderful meals with friends and family.  My goal is to just have really small portions, and stick with my no chocolate mandate.

I have to give credit to the new foster baby in the house, he has kept me running and on my toes the last two weeks.  I am sure that I am now fitting in more exercise with him than anything I was doing on my own, lol.  And I mean running, if there is an open space, like a school hallway, he wants to run....and laugh his head off because he knows I am running after him.  And Shayleen laughs at the both of us.

I feel renewed somewhat tonight, there was another Tops member that shared tonight, and if she loses a pound this week, she will be at her 60 pound mark!  Isn't that awesome?  I hope to check in with her during the week, because if I lose 1.6 or so, I will finally be into the 180's.  I am doing it, I am doing it slowly, but it is the little healthier choices every day that I hope to keep doing that will stay with me.  And with the weather looking up this week, I am hoping to finally be able to push the stroller down the sidewalk soon for some brisk walks.

Wish me luck for this week, I feel the challenge already!  Oh, and on my blog there is a little icon with a woman on it at the top right of the page, and it says "vote for us"....could you please click on it to vote for my blog?  I have not asked yet, and I am sitting at #14 in the rankings.  I am curious to see if you guys will push up my numbers....I am betting yes!  Thanks, and take a minute to check out some of the other blogs, some of them are awesome, and I am trying to figure out how they make the time to do it every single day!  So far my favorite is "Not your Average Mom", she is so hilarious!  Thanks again!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Chaos!

Before I forget, I will tell you about my Monday weigh in first.  After a vacation, where I was convinced I gained, as I seemed to eat and drink through some days, and then returned to Fort McMurray and total  chaos...to do my first weigh in tonight in three weeks, and I am down a pound.  That means that for every weigh in since Christmas I have lost.  I am pretty happy with that, but still have so far to go, but I remain on the right track.

So why chaos you ask?  Well, the night we returned our furnace was broken, and it was only today that the part came in and the fantastic furnace man came to fix it.  But chaos didn't really rule at our house, until a full 48 hours after we returned, when we had a placement with us on Friday.  So we are now "parents" to four children again.  All I can say is that it is an 18 month old.  Tonight was the first trip to the grocery store, and just let me say, I forgot how if there are no tie in straps on the cart, then they constantly try to stand up.  I also forgot if you go to close to the shelves, they will pull things at random onto the floor, and it is great fun to throw their sookie or anything else in the cart onto the floor.  I was breaking a sweat in the check out line as I tried to hang onto him and put the groceries on the conveyor...and there was no trip to the Starbucks line for me, and when I got home I was missing  five things off my list.  I will look at it as a retr aining session!  Next time I will remember and do better, lol.

As you know with fostering, we really don't know how long this placement will be...some that we would have happily kept forever left us far too soon, and others that we thought were for a weekend, like Shayleen, are in our hearts, and our home forever.  The adjustment period is the worst, where you are trying to figure out likes and dislikes, and a routine that is going to work for everyone, although tonight it was made perfectly clear that no peas will be eaten by this little one!

The one thing that always seems to go by the way side when I get busy with the kids in my house, my own, or foster, is my writing.  So I am publicly giving you all the right to ask me how the writing is going on any given day.  Ask me if I made the time, ask me if there is another blog coming, ask me how the work on the revisions to my book are going....give me the kick in the pants that I need to not give up that which I love. 

A painting called "Chaos" is a great way to imagine the way I have been running my butt off the last few days.