A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

Today, I spent a sizable chunk of the day at my office at the BC Institute of Technology. I knew that I'd start classes next week. What I didn't know until yesterday, is that I shall also be spending the next 5 1/2 weekends there too.

My boss called to ask if I could pick up two classes during November. I reluctantly agreed. I surely want to make things easy for our department. My usual class will meet weekday afternoons. Additionally, my weekend course runs from 8:30 to 4:30 on Saturday and Sundays! I'm not sure how educationally or physiologically sound that schedule is. Yet, I've taught it in the past and was shocked to see the great progress the students made. It just goes to show how extremely motivated some of our Professional English Language Development students can be!

I was just saying in this blog this week how I had been out of the classroom for three months. I think it's strange that I'm going to be practically living in one from the month of November. It some strange way, this feels like the hangover for being so relaxed since the beginning of August!

Labels: BCIT, relaxing

How can it already be the 22nd of the month? I finished up teaching my classes three weeks ago. I've really needed this time to decompress, I guess. I spent the first week of break in a rather manic state. I tried to busy myself with errands and tasks. The second week, I felt a little depressed as I had no pressing engagements and wondered what I should do with all my extra time. It wasn't until last week that I had glimpses of relaxation.

Now, I'm pretty much back to my normal, old self now. I can appreciate a day that has no itinerary. In fact, I've started to enjoy that type of day again.

Luckily, I've still got another three weeks off BEFORE MY VACATION STARTS. We don't fly to Munich until September 13th. In case I've not been clear about my copious free time: I have also had three or four prior weeks off between classes earlier in the year. During one we went back to see my father in hospital in New Hampshire and we went to explore Los Angeles on another.



I'm blogging about this topic as some misguided souls feel sorry for me when I say I work part-time and have for the last decade. I want to loudly proclaim that I have my personal priorities correctly set. Furthermore, I love the situation that I've created for myself.

Labels: Los Angeles, places, relaxing, travel planning

It is taking me a few days to get used to being off from work. One of the few drawbacks of teaching is that one's never really done. The job is not like a carpenter's. They get to look at a finished project and must feel a sense of accomplishment. During the time I'm teaching, I'm always thinking of things to add or change. I know the materials I'm using by heart, but I constantly consider new methods used to present it. It's like I'm always working although I'm usually in the classroom less than 20 hours a week. This is why I generally need a lot of time off.

That is exactly what makes being free such a change. I'm still thinking in the back of my mind there are things I could or should be doing. My mind, however, is wrong. I'm completely free for August. In addition, we'll be heading to Central Europe from mid-September through the beginning of October. I've requested time off. That means I won't be doing any chalk and talk for almost three months.

I really do have to sit back and just kick up my feet a little.

Labels: Eurotrip 2007, relaxing, travel planning

I'm teaching my evening class tonight. Although, I had no other work, I didn't really enjoy my day because I was aware I had to go to the campus later. That seems rather silly but I really relish having days with absolutely no appointments.

I have really put in a lot of hours already in 2007. Mind you, it's not nearly as much as the average person works but I take my job much more seriously than I have to. I cannot stand putting in anything less than my best effort. These statements seem a bit strange to me as I always considered myself the jovial, liaise faire sort.

I just found a small insight in these comments though. I understand something important about myself. As I expect near perfection in myself, I have no respect for others who cannot do likewise. Maybe that's too much to ask. For example, just because I'm smart, should I hold the rest of the population to similar standards? Clearly, that's not possible.

Labels: relaxing

I've always felt that happiness must reside internally. It doesn't quite seem right to me that external circumstances should affect one's emotional state. Of course, that is a blatant oversimplification for our interaction with the world is how we experience it.

External forces affect our habits. For example, the weather is great today just as it was yesterday. I was extremely happy to not have to go into work. I walked uptown soaking up the extra sunshine along we way. Being out with no obligations seemed joyful. I will always have a hard time understanding people who get bored when they've time off from their jobs. Life without a schedule is the way it was intended to be, I believe.

Furthermore, many people have trouble being in the moment nowadays. Technology has made it easy to exist in a constant somewhere else. Take all the people immersed in some other reality as they go about life. If I were to pull out the iPods' earbuds and switch off the cell phones, two thirds of the people on public transit would immediately go into a panic. Rather than attempting to be in some other zone, maybe it would be healthier just to look around and experience the here there.

Labels: feelings, relaxing, SkyTrain, technology

It's after ten o'clock in the morning and the lights are on. Another blustery day is upon us. The rain is again pelting the windows. Water is accumulating in cracks and crevices. The wind is whipping off any remaining autumn leaves.

On days such as this, I can see why the newspaper is full of advertisements for sunny destinations. It's a day like this when I realize why some retirees wish to get of the area from November to March.

Yet, there is a part of me that enjoys the inclement weather. It is carte blanche to laze around for the day. There'll be little guilt in doing next to nothing today.

Labels: relaxing, weather

Today, is Tuesday on the calendar but it'll be like a Monday in class. Our class meets on Mondays to Thursdays. Yet as yesterday was a holiday, we'll meet today through Friday.

I really enjoy the present group I'm teaching. They are clever, hard-working, and friendly. Even though I can say these things without reservation, it's still sad that the long weekend went by so quickly. I wouldn't have minded another day off!

I guess there's nothing unusual about feeling like this. After all, even when one loves it, work is still work!

Labels: BCIT, relaxing

Today's the first, real Canadian holiday since the start of the year. It's a long stretch from New Year's to Good Friday. Yet there's more good news because I work at a public institution. This means Easter Monday is free too.

I usually only teach Mondays to Thursdays anyway, so, next week, we'll put in the same hours by having class from Tuesday through Friday. Even though over the two weeks, I'll put in as many hours as usual, it still feels great being on holiday! It's a mood that's hard to describe but easy to sense.

Apparently, the weather's not about to cooperate for the break. By what I've heard we're in for days of rain and showers. Rather than doing something constructive such as painting the bedroom, I'll probably lie around, snack on goodies, and chill out. I'll be perfectly happy doing nothing special.



On the holiday theme, here's a picture from a non-holiday. The only time we've carved pumpkins was our second year in Canada back in the Agnes Street apartment. This was taken in 1997.

Labels: relaxing

On more than one occasion, I've criticized a person for working too hard. I've met people who define themselves through their employment. These people focus so intently on one aspect of their lives that they often miss other important areas. Earning money is a necessity. Yet if the pursuit of it overshadows the small pleasures of life then adjustments should be made. For example, an expensive car is pretty useless if it sits in the parking lot so its owner can work overtime to pay for it. I'd rather have a basic model and have the time to use it for road trips!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not lazy and I do believe work has its place. It can expand avenues of expression and understanding. I teach because I cannot think of a better way to earn money. When I'm playing traffic cop for the control of the language and activities in my classroom, it can be an extraordinarily satisfying experience. When a class goes well, I feel as a symphony conductor must. I have to admit though, this week the music that's being played feels a bit off key and out of synch.

Labels: relaxing

So far, November has consisted mostly of rainy days.

Nine years ago, after arriving from the sunny Middle East, the winter was especially rough. I got a bit depressed because of all the cloudy, dark days of Vancouver. I could have been easily talked into blue light therapy. (No, that's NOT related to anything which goes on in a K-Mart store.)

Now, I welcome this part of the year. I feel relaxed rather than depressed. I love how windshield wipers tap out a rhythm when driving. I love the warm feeling when sitting near the gas fireplace. The hot tub is never better than when rain is pelting on the nearby glass.

Most importantly I have learned to respect the changes of nature. I've heard it said that drugs such as Prozac do indeed get rid of depression; it's just they also get rid of life's highs too. Similarly, I wouldn't be able to fully appreciate the blue sky of a spring day without celebrating the weather we're having right now.

Labels: relaxing, weather

I wouldn't make a very good street person.

In a blog entry yesterday evening, I mentioned that it was raining. As I was driving home, I was very pleased with myself and the world. Everything appeared shiny as the street, tail, and shop lights all reflected on the dark pavement. Drivers seems one degree less hostile and a smidgen more forgiving than usual. The rhythm of the wipers created music that seemed choreographed to the activities outside. The heater was warming the interior of the truck and I felt comfortable and safe.

To our US Friends:

Labels: driving, maintenance, relaxing, Vancouver, weather

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Hey guys,

Sure, we should plan an escape for tomorrow. Do we want to stay close or go far? Close might simply include going to Burnaby. First, we could do Burnaby Mountain Park, then bring a picnic to eat at Barnet Marine Park. There's swimming there if the weather is nice but it's saltwater!

On the otherhand, an 1.5 hour drive might be to Mt. Baker.

Of course there's always Stanley Park for a picnic! What are your ideas?

== Dennis

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Labels: relaxing

I wasn't intending to scan an image for today's entry; however, I accidently opened a word processing document in one folder. The file is called myhistory.doc. It consists of pages I've added over many years and it simply highlights an event for each month since my graduation from college. Some sections are not complete but I did notice that I'd written something for February 1994.

Ten years! Hey, it was a long time ago that we visited Kenya but I can easily recall the few weeks spent there. We stayed in Nairobi, in a safari camp, and at a seaside resort in Mombasa.


From the confines of a tourist van, we chased around these guys and Africa's
'Big 5' animals of the Savannah.

Labels: relaxing, world

Thankfully, today is Friday.

I am thankful because my class doesn't meet on Fridays. Don't get me wrong: I don't feel that working is evil. Yet, there are times when I wonder why people are so gung-ho about it.

Presently, I'm teaching afternoons, so I join in the great rat race heading homeward at 5:00 pm. Yesterday evening we were in the middle of one of the pouring showers that pretty much make up winters in Vancouver. It was black and greasy out. The roads were wall-to-wall head and tail lights.

I couldn't help but wonder why people set up their lives like that! It seems that in much of this society the goals don't justify the means. Too many people work hard to earn lots of money; only to find, they have no time to enjoy it because they're always working!

Judged by more universal standards, I think the rhythm of life created by a time clock is neither normal nor healthy.

Labels: opinions, relaxing