Last week we had a breakthrough solving a pervasive odour that had been habitually invading our office reception area. A strong smell of sewer would waft through the lobby, every couple of days, usually around mid-morning. This irritating smell would trigger a circuit of filling floor drains throughout the building, assuming one of the P-traps was drying up and letting sewer gas up through the floor. And so the cycle continued, until last week. We had to shut our meeting room

I learned something new yesterday.  While discussing learning long division with Maryna, my Ukrainian colleague, she informed me the way they were taught long division in Ukraine was different than here.  “Show me”, I demanded. As someone who has taught junior high math, I was intrigued to learn about an alternate method. I sketched a problem on a page, which she proceeded to solve.  True understanding of concepts is often reflected in the ability to get to correct results no

Anyone familiar with EVs (electric vehicles) likely understands the plethora of advantages that they possess. Lightning quick acceleration Low operating costs (charge and go) No oil changes, warm ups, or fluid issues Silent and smooth driving experience Etc. Unfortunately there is one fear that prevents many people from purchasing one,  range anxiety. The idea of being halfway along a road trip, with dwindling power reserves, and uncertainty around charging station location,

The sound of smashing glass at 1am last night got me out of bed at lightning speed.  I woke Karina telling her “A window just broke…!”, as I started my careful advance through the house envisioning a few ‘take-down’ options, lest I stumble on to an unwanted visitor. Karina went to check on the girls in the bedroom next door, who were also waking from the loud disturbance.  “A glass fell mom”, Olive told Karina, yet the kitchen inspection revealed no such incident. After clear

We had a milestone event this week as Karina ‘vibe-coded’ her first (of many) ios apps. DreamMe  is a social network for dreams, it lets you record your dreams, and more importantly it allows you to share who is showing up in their dreams (if they choose).  Claude.ai  has turned the process of app creation from a $20,000 multiple month endeavour, into a few hours and a $30 monthly subscription to Claude.  Rather than simply talking about the magic of AI, we have living proof

I tend to struggle with unwanted surprises or changes to my structured routine, but I’ve started using the mantra, “Yes, thank you”, to help me overcome this weakness.  The goal is to accept circumstances as they arise, use them as learning and growth, without playing the victim. Yes, thank you, forces the recognition that life is happening exactly how it is supposed to be at this moment, and hardships today are teaching me the lessons I will need to become better.  Yes, than

The challenge: One full week free of all complaints. Allegedly the average person complains once per minute during regular conversation. Yikes. Proponents of ‘complaint fasting’ claim that it creates a neurological re-wiring which lowers cortisol, reduces stress, improves sleep, strengthens relationships, and clears thinking. The human on the other side embodies agency and optimism. I see only upside.  The Tim Ferriss suggestion is to simply move a band from one wrist to the

I keep two pictures of Olive and Hazel on my night stand, and make time to look at them each night. After challenging days of hormone-fueled interactions, gazing upon them, from a younger era, reminds of how sweet they once were. I’ve spent years observing students, growing into participating members of society, and one theme is consistent. No matter how much maturity, knowledge or experiences people get, they always keep their core nature.  The insecurities, the need to be s

I taught Hazel’s grade five class for the first time this year.  It was awesome.  I re-met all of her classmates, started a unit on mixed fractions, led an intense ‘swat ball’ game in the gym, and even customized a lesson on aviation. It forced Hazel and I to bond the week before as we created a custom Youtube video , and some 3-D prizes for our ‘flight’ lesson.  The fully immersive, father and daughter learning experience concluded with coaching basketball for her grade five

I pulled out my coin collection this week. It had been safely tucked beneath our stairs for the past few years, out of site and out of mind. Despite the laundry list of chores that needed completing, I took a few minutes to open the sets, check some Ebay prices, and enjoy the beauty of these treasures.  I showed the girls all the coolest coins, and I was surprised that they didn't even know the collection existed. Thousands of dollars of coins, hidden away and forgotten, one

Everytime Karina and I have a ‘date day’ in Edmonton we enjoy a simple ritual. At noon we begin at our favorite restaurant, Sugarbowl, indulge in a premium craft cocktail, split a delicious brunch spread, and hang for an hour.  Once we are satiated, and feeling happy, we amble next door to Redbike, my favorite niche bike shop, where I spend the next half hour drooling over a variety of unique, ‘hipster’ bicycles, while daydreaming about my next purchase. Despite having a full

I listened to Andrew Huberman explain how near-infrared light (NIR), specifically at 850nm, has the ability to penetrate our tissue, and ‘recharge’ the mitochondria of our cells. These ‘powerhouse’ organelles, provide the energy (ATP) for all of our life functions, so more ATP means better health.   The best time to absorb NIR is directly from the sun near sunrise or sunset, at a time when there is less direct infrared to burn your skin. For us here in the north, where real s

We’ve likely heard the story of fleas in a jar, that jump only as high as the clear barrier above them. Remove the lid, and they still jump only to the level of their imaginary constraint.   For the past year, when using our office microwave and warming objects larger than a sandwich, we’ve repeatedly removed and reattached a metal rack dividing the centre of the device. This slight irritation was generally accepted as necessary. This week, however, while completing the same

Watching Olive play in her first Junior High basketball game yesterday was a lesson in nerves, excitement, and growth. The rules, plays, time-keeping, and scoring, all new, and each a bit challenging in their own way. By the fourth quarter, I saw Olive transition from wide-eyed newbie, to engaged competitor.  Progress. Tony Robbins says “progress equals happiness”, and as humans we are wired to either “grow or die”. We see this in the excitement of youth, each day a new adven

Hazel and I put an especially large item on our Christmas lists this year and after a lot of prayer and some marginal behaviour, Santa brought our family a 3D printer. I had been ruminating about a world where the girls and I could dream, create, and iterate bringing imagination to life. A few hours of YouTube ‘research’ made it plainly clear that 3D printing had evolved to a ridiculously advanced state, and it was time to explore.    Post-Christmas, it turns out that our pri

James Clear has the greatest digital newsletter ever. His weekly  3-2-1  is often so profound that I am always baffled that he is able to find so many ‘gems’ of wisdom, so consistently.  While reading his January 1, 2026 insights, amazing as usual, the final question got me thinking. “If you met your 80 year old self today, what would they beg you to stop postponing?” Although I have a pretty ‘dialed-in life’, there are a few things I will make space for in 2026. BJJ rolls th

During the Christmas season, I sample the bountiful treats baked, bought and shared. Like everything else in life, my return to sugar, assuredly begets more sugar.  Which leads to one of my personal mantras:  “Begets, Begets”. The weeks when I roll BJJ two times, my body craves three or four. When I train everyday, it is so much easier than training every second day. When I eat one cookie, I want five. Running for three days a week makes me want to run everyday. And having a

My first flight instructor in 1998 would ask me, "Are you having fun?” after every flight together. I found each session quite stressful and demanding, quite the opposite of fun. Passing my flight test was a highlight of my life, and with the gift of freedom when I was pilot in command, every flight was fun. In 2008 when I returned to university to get an education degree I trained as a student teacher with multiple great mentors. I always felt like an imposter within their c

One of my proudest teaching moments was when a grade 7 parent came to me at the end of the school year, and informed me that her son who previously hated Social Studies, now loved it, and I’d inspired him to become a Social teacher one day. Social 7 was actually a course that I secretly found extremely boring at onset, but by forcing enthusiasm, was able to convince the students (and myself) that it was pretty cool stuff to learn.  15 years later, my daughter Olive is now a g

Olive was quite ill on the weekend. By Sunday night, as the infrared thermometer read 40.5 degrees I became concerned. A discussion with Chat GPT walked me calmly and carefully through causes, concerns, and an action plan. This calm and unwavering AI assistant paused patiently as I interrupted with deeper inquiry, repeated recommendations with enthusiasm, and appeared fully empathetic. Her pleasant and efficient responses gave me peace of mind, and her depth of knowledge was