Ottawa

Last weekend my husband and four year old son flew to Ottawa and I met them for a compact 2 day tourist adventure of the Capital of the country.(its Ottawa, not Toronto...right??:)

All in all it went well.

We started with a trip to the nature museum to fulfill our need to see Dinosaurs, spent the afternoon at Parliament Hill, an hour and half double decker bus tour which included a glimpse of Steve's place then swimming in the evening. The Sunday was spent at the Museum of Civilization(very interesting if you want to know about Canadian history and politics which I might add is not very old relatively speaking), then a drop off at the airport.

It was a jam packed visit but the weather was perfect and the highlight was actually Parliament Hill. I did not realize how big the grounds were. It is kind of cool to watch the public frolic on the democratic symbol of Canada. There was definite RCMP presence for security purposes, however, you were free to roam about , have wedding pictures taken or just play frisbee on the lawn. Symbolically it gave you a sense of democracy, freedom and peace which I think is important.

The visit to Parliament Hill was a way of putting a face to a name, if you will. I would call myself a novice when politics are concerned but this visit in conjunction with my new government position has sparked a new interest and a feeling of obligation to not only understand politics but be actively involved.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Duty of Care

We had a lawyer from the Department of Justice put us through the paces this week. All in all it was actually quite interesting. He mostly spoke to us about duty of care in regards to Transport Canada and public safety regarding aviation. Good stuff!(really!)

Here's something I didn't know and was a little stunned to learn about.

As a general statement ...a person walking down the street who may see another injured or in distress is not compelled to a duty of care. Meaning you have no obligation to help someone. Funny thing is, I have seen it too often already when walking downtown.

The general rule is to step over the guy passed out on the sidewalk. Assuming that he is drunk and passed out, nobody seems to stop and make sure the guy isn't dead or near dead. I had too, just for peace of mind.

Anyways, the lawyer pointed out there is no duty of care in regard to one human being to another in a non relationship(professional or family).

Apparently some states and Quebec have a duty to rescue , specifically with children involved but as far as strangers mingling amongst each other in the city...no duty of care exists.

Its a glass half full or half empty the way I look at it. Perhaps we don't need to legislate goodwill to one another it will take care of itself...I hope.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Routine has become Routine

I am sitting in the computer cafe of the Nav Canada Training Institute in Cornwall, Ontario.
Wow...just saying that sounds like its boring..(actually, it kind of is!?)
Its like I put everything in neutral.
The days are full of lectures, discussions and too many coffee breaks. We finish at 15:30 hours( we have to talk military talk here). There is lots of spare time.
This is actually a treat and a blessing. Along with all the food you can eat it has an awesome workout center.
Training is not a problem...unfortunately eating all you can eat is too accessible as well.

I have had time to think about my routine and realized its been so routine that it hasn't been a problem.
Alas!! this is the problem.
I have plateaued... I need challenge.
I am hoping in the next two weeks to reevaluate my goals, my fitness level and set some new parameters.
I already know I am having a slump in the cardio and conditioning area. I think intensity training will be on the menu.

Its interesting, I used to think once I had a routine set up and established it would be just a matter of doing it , granted a few changes here and there but none the less established, like brushing your teeth. Now I find it ,my training routine, that is, has become boring.
These couple of weeks should give me the opportunity to asses, plan and then act.

I'll either come back home really pumped...or really fat!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta , Canada

P.S. I am unable to post on the UBBT site from here...I will update later.

Leave the Battles for the Younger Guys now.

I was speaking with my former boss last week and we were reminiscing about times gone by and the changing work force. It was a pleasant conversation but something he said struck me.
He is working for a very large corporate company now and enjoys it, however he admits he recognizes many flaws but feels he is too old to deal with it. Basically he said after the age of 50 he is trying to slow down, "leave the battles for the younger guys now".
On one hand I understand where hes coming from but for me it seems all wrong.
I think as long as you are breathing you should never lay down your guns. Drag them if you have to! (Metaphorically speaking of course).
He is not alone in his position, I know plenty of other 50+ individuals whom have the same ideologies. Slow down, relax, take the retirement job...don't rock the boat and collect your check.
Problem is, if you have the "not my problem" attitude at work it can only creep into the rest of your existence, choosing to care and put quality into what you do only when it suites you or its convenient.
Thankfully, I know just as many other 50+ individuals who are the exact opposite.
Tenacious in their work ethic, always looking to improve themselves and in good physical shape on top of everything else.
They are my mentors.

On a somewhat related note...I am in the middle of a training course, I have been learning about the judicial system and how it relates to aviation. I am off to Cornwall, Ontario next week for the second half of the course. It is all very new learning about civil and criminal law in relation to aviation, pretty interesting stuff...OK , maybe not that interesting nobody gets put in an arm bar!

I am glad to be learning something new and quite excited about challenging myself...this is what keeps you young.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada