Kind Of An Ugly Puppy

By the time we introduced children into the family, our dogs were already 5 years old. We lived out in the country on a comfortable acreage and life was pretty settled. Two medium sized dogs,  a couple of Paint horses and full time jobs kept us pretty busy.

The day we brought our eldest son (Ry) home from the hospital a lot of things changed. I put the infant car seat on the ground and our labrador/dalmatian dog, Mocha, came over for a closer look. She stared and she sniffed. And then she sat down next to the car seat and looked up at me and "said".... it's kind of an ugly puppy, but I'll take it. 

And from that day forward, Ry was Mocha's puppy and she was his guard dog and best friend. As cliche as it sounds, it's the absolute honest truth. That dog and that boy were meant to be together.

Our other dog, Oreo, is also a loving and wonderful, brilliant (Border Collie cross) companion, but she has never been particularly interested in the boys or being at their side. But that's what Mocha lived for. She loved it. That was easy to see.

Each night Mocha slept outside Ry's bedroom door. When he got his first toddler bed she lay right on the mat next to it. When he graduated to a double bed, Mocha's prayers had been answered. Finally there was a bed big enough for the both of them!

Mocha was pretty vocal about it being her bed too. Should I lie down and get comfy while reading my Ry a bedtime story, she would whine and whimper until I got out of "her spot" and let her settle in for the night.

When her arthritis got bad enough that she could no longer climb up on his bed, she began sleeping on the hard floor in the hallway outside his bedroom. Lovingly, we placed her new little dog bed there, so she would be comfortable. Faithfully each night, when she got up to stretch, her claws would tap, tap, tap on his bedroom floor as she peered inside his room and walked right up to the bed to get a closer look. She checked on all of us. She just made the rounds and kept watch on all of us, every night. We knew the noises of her "rounds" and they brought us peace and comfort each night.

When Ry learned to ride a bike, she was there. When he was on the swings, she was there. When he went for a walk in the forest, she was there. For hours on end, she would lie in the yard watching him as he played. I have so many pictures of her like this. Where Ry was, Mocha was.  As Ry grew older and more independent I  got more and more comfortable letting him play in our big country yard. I took comfort in knowing Mocha was always there and always watching him.

When the family was out at the lake, or out on the dock, she was right there too. She simply wouldn't dream of letting her puppy out of her sight. She had endless patience for him. Whether he wanted to cuddle or climb, or share his hotdog she was always gentle and willing.

When Ry's little brother CJ was born, she added to her duties, but she never did bond with CJ the same way she did with Ry.

I sure did think this was a precious moment when Ry wanted to read to his baby brother and he lay down on a blanket for storytime, and Mocha got right in there and joined the boys. I could go on and on about the way those two shared their lives. If words were enough to express the love between them I wouldn't need pictures, but these photos say so much.

Mocha died on September 28th, 2012 of old age and complications of canine epilepsy. It was a devastating loss to our family. Right now we're still in hour by hour mode. I'm sure each day will get a little easier but right now it still really stings.

I sat down to eat some ice cream today and after a few bites I just burst into tears, remembering that every night she would lick out the cup and finish the ice cream for me. And now I have to finish it myself and that sucks because I can't eat a whole cup of ice cream,  or ANYTHING for that matter. Mocha has spent the last 15 years cleaning up after me and finishing my every meal. That was our thing. I brought that baby dog home when she was just 8 weeks old and loved her every day after.

I will try to remember the best times. Like Ry's first day of school. Both Mocha and CJ tried to squeeze in on the action. Both appear here, ready to go with him, for that milestone event.

I will try to remember the 1000s of hours she spent walking with her family and the way she was always right beside us. And will forever be, in our hearts.

Mocha, our guardian on earth. Now our angel in Heaven. Rest in peace Mocha. Rest in peace.

Fast Five Travel Tips: Choosing a destination

Whether it's a family trip, or a solo adventure, your biggest decision is your destination. A few quick tips on how I choose.

1. Who is actively promoting their tourism industry? See commercials for California? Airlines offering packages? If they want you visit... that's a good sign.

2. Is it a relatively new destination with your favourite airline? You may find incentive packages or fantastic initial discounts.

3. Is there an event you'd like to see? Running of the bulls? A New Orleans Saints football game? Is there an activity on your bucket list that corresponds with a certain destination?

4. Cost of travel. Some remote locations are very challenging to get to and costs will be significantly higher. How much do you have to spend.... time wise and money wise? This is a very important point.

5. But don't be a lemming. Just because everyone else is going to Cuba, or Mexico or Fargo North Dakota, doesn't mean you have to. Choose where your imagination wants to go. Pursue adventures. Pursue personalized travel above all. Go where YOU want to go!

As always, I recommend seeing what the fine folks on Tripadvisor.com say. They are avid travellers and readers too. There is always good information on specific locations, hotels and restaurants. There are some excellent tips, from real people, that can help you make the most of your travel time and dollar. Choose wisely young grasshopper!

Fast Five Travel Tips: Christmas booking time is now

1. Booking in September, for Christmas travel means you should get what you want, for the price you can live with.

2. There are still decent flight times, and flight prices available.

3. Find yourself a hotel haven. Grab a room at the inn, before you're left out in the cold, or on aunt Betty's basement couch.

4. A Christmas vacation is a gift in itself. Your shopping is done!

5. Last minute all-inclusive Christmas vacations are like eating 3 day-old leftovers.... iffy at best. Why take chances with your money, or your memories? Book the vacation YOU want, rather than take what nobody else wants.

I Must Be a Lot of Fun!

Either I'm a lot of fun, or my family just really loves to travel.

Each year we try to take at least one trip together as a family, but somehow that's just not enough for these people! We're not home even a week post-vacation, before someone secretly takes me aside and says something to the effect of, "that was fun, but don't you think it would be better if just you and I went _______." Now, you can fill in that blank with just about any destination. They've asked for the world at one point or another.

Usually first to ask for a private adventure, is my 7 year-old son. CJ loves to travel. His passport is embarrassingly full of stamps. He wants to go to the classic family destinations, like Disney World.

Ry, who is 10, loves cruises. He thinks a Caribbean cruise would be just the perfect thing for the two of us. He likes the all-inclusive feel, and round the clock service and activity of a cruise ship.

My husband likes the classic couples' weekends, like Vegas or Montreal. Both cities have so much to offer. He likes the weekend getaways... quick, exciting and to the point. Plus, it's hard for us to leave the kids for more than a three day weekend.

Individual trips, tailored to individual tastes are great. I have no problem with them at all. Each child gets some personal parenting time and I like to think that I get to know each of them better thanks to "solo" trips.

While Ry didn't get a cruise, he did get a 5 day hockey road trip (and a whole whack of hockey gear) just a few months ago. CJ indeed got Disney last November and the hubby and I just returned from Vegas.

For me, it feeds the beast. That inner voice of mine that says.... "where to next?" Little trips stoke the fire until we can align our schedules and jet off to our next great family adventure.

Crepes From Paris LV

Caramelized pear & hazelnut. Amazing!

One of my favourite treats in Las Vegas are the crepes from the Paris Hotel. La Creperie is fabulous. They do one thing and they so it so well. It's not like a breakfast place where you can get a bagel or an omelette or french toast. It's crepes or nothing!

Choose from their list of sweet or savoury crepes. You can't go wrong. The mixed berry... the ham & cheese... they are all delicious. Made fresh for you and served in just a couple minutes. You can grab a juice, water or coffee here with your meal. They even serve Baileys with the coffee.

My kind of place!

Fall Travel Deals on Now

There are some good deals on travel within North America and some select Caribbean destinations right now. Both Westjet and Air Canada are offing 10-20% off flights this fall. Booking deadline is September 12th, for travel up to early December. Blackout dates are October 4th - 9th (Canadian Thanksgiving weekend).

A round trip, taxes in, from Winnipeg to Vancouver is $410. The same from Winnipeg to Bermuda is $456 and the Bahamas are about $520. A quick trip to Calgary will cost you about $360.

If you're willing to drive over the border and fly out of a North Dakota city on Delta or United, you could go to Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver, or Dallas for less than $400 all taxes etc included round trip.

As always, prices vary based on flight times, dates and demand. But if you are flexible there are some good trips to be had at reasonable prices. May I suggest an NFL road trip this fall? Go Broncos! Unless they are playing the Cardinals.... in which case.... Go Cards!

University of Phoenix Stadium, Home of the Arizona Cardinals

@cdntripseeker

Back to the Turks & Caicos: PLS a Hot Mess

Just for a moment I want to take you back to the islands of the Turks and Caicos, site of our beautiful, Caribbean family summer vacation 2012. I've covered the food, the island, the entertainment and the resort. I forgot to finish up my report on the PLS airport.

It was chaos. Hot, sticky, grumpy, chaos. Any bliss you had from your week's rest in paradise was out the window and dead on the sidewalk within minutes of entering this airport. IF, and that's a big IF you could get into the building. The lineups, snaked around the outside of this little airport.

PLS is the airport code for the main international airport in Providenciales of the Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. While it is the main airport, it's not huge. Not big at all. Much smaller than any Walmart, that's for sure.

Delta, American Airlines, Air Canada, United and Westjet all fly here regularly. The problem is that the number of tourists had grown at a much much quicker pace than the facilities or staffing and they are simply overwhelmed.

Picture four major airlines and roughly 700 people crammed into a system where 200 would be comfortable. 1 in every 5 people could get a seat in the waiting area. 20 minutes in line to use one of the 3 stalls in the ladies room. No air conditioning. And 2 physical doors acting as 4 "airline gates" for people to exit through onto the tarmac. 4 planes trying to load weary passengers all at once and one, I REPEAT ONE, security line.

The baggage handlers, the ticket agents and security were doing their best to corral people and usher them into the "right" line. Lines that all criss crossed and intersected multiple times.  Ticket lines, check-in lines and security. There was a line for families and a line for airline employees and probably random lines I didn't even know about.

Now picture impatient travellers hollering "platinum! platinum!" at baggage clerks and security agents... "I'm supposed to have priority" they'd say. "Platinum!!!"  Ok, these folks added levity for me. But the other folks with crying children, and/or missing their planes after 2 hours in chaos... well, that broke my heart. I really felt bad for them.

Talking to the baggage handlers and the taxi drivers, they told me, "it's like this every Saturday. But it's good on a Tuesday... take you 15 minutes." Simple as that. It was and is, an organizational issue. They need to spread out their flight departures better. Or  build an addition. Even one more security line would cut the wait in half. Things can be done. Things should be done.

I would never travel there on a Saturday again. It would not be worth the stress. And this was in July - their slow season! It was a beautiful island and a fantastic vacation, but leaving.... leaving was simply a hot mess. An ugly, hot, and avoidable mess.

My Best Back to School Tip

STOP... and give me 15!!!

So what do I mean? Well, when my two boys burst through the door after school each day I tell them to "stop, and give me fifteen" minutes of their time for chores. Fifteen minutes is no big deal. You can even put it on a timer. But I do my best to enforce it every school day, the minute they burst through the door. Otherwise, you know what happens... the TV flips on, or they start playing with their iPods, scavenging for food or otherwise just destroying the house. And then the evening gets away on you and it's dinner and bed and nothing has been accomplished by the minors in the household.

In 15 minutes they can complete one or maybe two tasks. Things as simple as these:
- tidying up their bedroom from the morning rush
- organizing the shoes at the front door
- walking and feeding the dogs
- taking out the garbage
- sweeping the floor
- putting away their own laundry
- gathering their equipment for the next hockey game
- writing a quick thank you note to someone
- putting away groceries
- setting the table

During that 15 minutes, I prepare a quick and healthy snack for them. (We all know kids burst through the door hungry each day after school.)  Things like crackers and cheese, veggies, or whole grain tortilla chips and salsa usually do the trick.

Then, they can get to doing their after school "chillaxin" and I can work at getting dinner ready without the added burden of doing their chores as well, or tripping over them as they scavenge for food in the kitchen.

So, we did this coupon....

Marketing is my thing. Advertising, is as critical to a business, as breathing is to living. And over the years I have become more and more in tune with the patterns of my restaurant. We are very busy in May and June, when little league soccer and baseball is in full swing. This is our prime time.

August, on the other hand, is more quiet. Things level out. This gives my staff an opportunity to take holidays and I include myself in that. We rotate. It's a team thing we do. We work hard, we play hard and for many of my teen staffers, it seems we shop pretty hard too!

The third week of August is typically one of our slowest weeks of the year. Families are away from home taking their last blast at the lake, or their last road trip before school starts again. Other families are feeling the pinch of school supply shopping and have less dining out money to spend. So.... I thought I'd do a coupon (to try to kick up the pace a little).

We have done plenty of coupons in the past. But nothing prepared us for the onslaught of hungry seniors and bargain hunters that marched in with outstretched, hands, waving their coupons this time.  These were new customers. We were excited! As any business person knows, you can either sell more (of whatever you sell) to existing customers, or you can recruit new customers.  And when you recruit new customers, you work to dazzle them so they become repeat customers. Win - win, right?

We did dazzle them! But they kept coming & coming & coming. It seems that the ad in the local FREE newspaper got a lot of attention and instant repeat business. And the unrestricted public distribution of the paper made some folks clip out 10, 20 or more copies. We were pretty much powerless to stop people from using multiple coupons even though it clearly stated "one per family."

Incidentally, the coupon was BOGO (buy one, get one free) complete cheeseburger meal.

Social media contributed to this too. I did announce on our facebook page, to our more than 500 fans, that there was a coupon in the Journal that they should look for.

My failing in this, was my inability to predict the number of coupons we would receive or when. There was a 10 day window of redemption and it seems, the busiest of those days were the 2 that I had off. Murphy's Law!! Right? Who would guess that staff would be overwhelmed on a Tuesday and Wednesday. (Typically the slowest restaurant days of the week.)  So, as they say... "My bad."

We had a few laughs. Mostly the folks who took to using disguises or making up excuses why they wanted to receive some product the coupon wasn't valid for.  Guys who thought they could wink and get a shake instead of a coke. (Not happening!) Or women who would go on and on about their diets and "couldn't we just substitute this or that" for the same price.  Again, the coupon clearly stated, in bold print, no substitutions.

Ultimately, we gave away more than $2000 in free food. Nope, we weren't expecting that! And those of us who weren't on holidays, worked our asses off every single day.  We did our very best to impress all new customers and sincerely hope they return. But know, that tonight when the doors locked and all coupons had expired we all did the happy dance. I think I'm going to have to take the staff out for pizza and thank them for their extra hard work. It was NOT the low key August week were were used to.

What did we learn? Advertising is a magical thing. A weapon of sorts, to be used cautiously. Maybe next time I'll see if I can call a psychic hotline and look into the future so I can predict (and prepare) more effectively. Hey.... I wonder if there's a coupon for THAT?