Spring Seriously

Well after a long and very cold disgusting winter, Spring seems to have arrived, well at least somedays it feels like it. Others just suck and are cold, but we will get through this again and then summer will be here and I can get my tan on.
The last week has been spent by redoing the front side walk, creating a seating area in the back corner of our yard and digging up the garden for the first time, I do this three times every year before I plant a damn thing.
I have also got all my planters ready for herbs and flowers . Been a busy little boy. Can't wait for the hot weather to hit us here soon. Been a bit windy the last couple days but that is okay, I can deal with a bit of wind as long as we get a really nice and hot summer.
We have also been putting in the front fence, cute little iron fence all around our front yard to make it look lovely and keep all the neighborhood dogs from shitting on my flowers this year and keep our dogs in the yard when we are having martinis on the lanai.
This past week has been both happy and sad in many ways, Sad that we have seen so much death again in one week with the loss of Linda Sawatsky last Saturday, Tamara's mother, who will be dearly missed. Also our neighbor and friend Theresa Nixon who lost her battle with cancer on Wednesday and our friend Michel in Quebec who lost his mother on Tuesday. All I can say is I know what you are going through every day.
The week has been happy though as we have been doing a little bit here and there, we got to see Matt's father on Tuesday for the day and had a great visit with him, on his way through Toronto just back from Barbados and Guyana, on his way home to Vancouver. Also a happy week as both our teams are in the playoffs for now, Matt is cheering Vancouver and I am cheering Calgary, mostly for Mom as she loved it and the best thing is, Tennis has been on most everyday, so much better than hockey, sorry, just more interesting to me!
The neighborhood has also brought us many pregnant women, so it must have been a cold one this winter, we will be getting three new rugrats on this side of the street alone, all we need, so we are figuring out how long before all these kids turn into teenagers and then it will be time to sell and get the hell out of dodge. I don't mind them when they are under ten, after that until they are twenty one, I would really rather not be around.
Teenagers are way too loud and obnoxious now a days. That is all!
So not much else to say at the moment, our thoughts go out to all. have a great week and I am going to try and get back into writing here more often.
Thanks for reading, Bye for now

Thank you

In my life I have been put through hell and taken a lot shit from a lot of people over the years and still I am here, fighting and trying to be strong and the best I can be. I thank all you who made me who I am today and instead of blaming all the bad things in my life I am thankful for them as they made me a much stronger person.
Throughout school I was picked on , called many derogative names and basically ostrasized for being a little different. I am who I am and have always been. During this time I thank all the wonderful people who stood by me and stood up for me, for these are my true friends and have always been there for me, especially my mother. You are wonderful and know who you are as well.
This carried on through most of my earlier working days as well and I managed to build a great career from this and became one of the youngest General Managers by taking my anger and challenging those who picked on me and made me feel worthless and fought my way to the top to become one of the youngest General Managers in a large hotel. It gave me drive and determination to strive ahead, not to give up! And in turn it pissed a lot of people off because they didn't win and didn't get rid of me, Ha, ha. I have managed to take the negative and turn it positive and overcome this in my teens and early 20s.
I have struggled and been in both mentally and physically abusive relationships after I came out at the age of 26. I have been mugged, gay bashed(3 times) and raped. All these things made me very non trusting and judgemental person throughout my life. I have chose carefully who is in my life and valued those who I greatly appreciate. I have lost family and people I love, some just choose not to be a part of my life because of my lifestyle and others have passed away far too soon. I have had health issues, lived on the street for a couple weeks and also lived in everything from a hotel, to a rooming house to a gorgeous condo and a 6 bedroom house. Suffered my losses and had trials like everyone else in the world.
One of my greatest supporters and the person who convinced me to come out was a great woman, and one of my best friends and roommates at the time, Lori Sinclair. I owe her so much and her and I were so close for so many years with a very loving and turbulent friendship. I miss her everyday. her convincing me to be who I was and to tell people the truth grew many relationships and made others stagnant for a time. Lori and I lived in Edmonton at this time, with her then partner Jonathon.
 The thing I am saying in the end I guess is that I have had all these things happen, planned and otherwise, these things help to make you the person you are and make you appreciate what you have and use it to your fullest.
 I am who I am and I love the person I am , think of me as a bitchy, jaded or whatever you wish, I think of me as a very happy and strong man.

Letter to Air Transat Noli Tours

January 31, 2015

Air Transat/Noli Tours

Re: Hotel Villa Tortuga

Varadero, Cuba

and Air Transat Flights TS750 and TS751

Booking #15248655

I am writing you to let you know what my husband and I experienced at one of your resorts on our recent vacation to Villa Tortuga,Varadero, Cuba from January 17^th to January 24^th of 2015. Our flight (TS750) was late which I understand but on the flight the service was less than par and worse than anything we have ever experienced, my husband at one point had asked for a Corona, the response given was I don't have any, not checking or anything, asking another flight attendant, all of a sudden there was a corona.

Let me start by saying this was suppose to be a seven day all inclusive vacation and with the late arrival we did not get to the resort until early Sunday morning January 18^th. As we arrived at the resort with approximately 25 other persons we were met by only one over worked front desk agent who dealt with a long line of check ins. We were assigned a room that was adequate at best, light fixture above the tv was broken and one light in the washroom was burnt out our entire stay, despite asking it to be changed three times. Closet doors that did not open and fell off the tracks every time we tried to open or close them. Also no bottle of water in the room which we had to ask for and never received, we purchased our own at the resort store!

Our room number was 2107 and kept clean but the smell from the petroleum plant in our room caused a headache daily which did not help when dealing with some of the nasty staff at the resort.

The second of our experiences was with the 24 hour lobby bar and its bartender who was at best the worst experience of our entire vacation. Frank was his name and the first night we arrived he was busy but the man would hardly wait on anyone and stood there half the time with his arms crossed and making people wait, at one point and time he actually just left the bar for about 20 minutes. We got to meet Frank again on the Wednesday January 21^st of our vacation and we were meeting another couple for drinks before dinner, the bar was empty, I stood in line behind a young lady and there was another gentleman that walked up to the bar. The bartender Frank went to wait on the gentleman first, I told him no, the lady was here first and then me and then the other gentleman, who agreed with me. Frank the bartender then crossed his arms and would not wait on any of us. I went to the front desk and asked to speak with a manager of Villa Totuga resort and filed a complaint about Frank the bartender, while doing so, he stood at the bar, arms crossed and making everyone wait, and then as I faced the bar and the manager back to the bar, frank proceeded to give me the finger. This was totally unacceptable to me and saw by others and quite frankly put a huge damper on the rest of our vacation. I had to go and complain again the next morning to our hotel rep, Kenia, who was amazing. We received a letter and a dinner from the ala cart restaurant which we were entitled to begin with and this was there answer and as we called it, at least it was a gesture! I feel so much more could have been done to resolve this matter.

The resort was very clean and for the most part as advertised, except there is not 2 ala cart restaurants and not 4 restaurants at all. There is a buffet restaurant and one ala cart restaurant which alternates its food between Italian and international on different nights. The snack bar was not really snacks and pretty bad, closed during meal times and ran out of the sandwiches they served on half the days we were there.

Nothing in this resort resembled the pictures shown except for the pool, certain bars were never open when supposed to be and the food was very repetitive and at best warm on the buffet. The steam table rarely worked or seemed to and service in both restaurants was far below good. Most days and nights tables were not set that we sat at and drinks took forever to get at dinner and lunch.

The beach chairs were not often available and when they were they were often broken and not useable at all. Toilet paper was a luxury if you could find it all in any of the public washrooms, most days we had to go back to the room to use the washroom at least we knew that washroom was clean, public ones were rarely cleaned at all.

I feel the service at the resort was mediocre at best, with staff just there to do a job and expecting tips for nothing at all, we tip when deserved and tip well. On our last day there Saturday January 24^th we had to check out of our room at 12 noon and did not catch our bus to the airport until 6pm. According to my calculations we paid for a seven excursion with your company and did not check into our room at the resort until early January 18^th and should have been allowed to stay in our room until our departure at least.

To end our vacation with Air Transat our flight was late by two hours departing Varadero to Toronto(flight TS751). There was no explanation as to why ever! At least the flight crew on the way home were accommodating and helpful.

All and all I have to say my first experience with Air Transat was not good at all and I would not recommend your company to anyone. I have also added this to my facebook and my personal blog and talked to friends of ours who work within the media about your services and your resorts which are so falsely advertised. I do believe that a good 90% of the persons on our bus also complained at the hotel resort and their services. I will also be forwarding a copy of this to Consumer and Cooperate Affairs for the false advertising of the resort we visited. We will never use Air transat again.

Thank you

 

A short year ago

It seems like yesterday and the memories are still so fresh and beautiful. It was a year ago today that I went out to visit Mom and Dad and surprise Mom for her birthday. She was so happy and glad to see me and we had such a great week. We went shopping and we got her picture taken with Santa and her, dad and I went to Sandys Restaurant for Chinese Food Buffet. The smile on moms face was priceless and the way she ate that night was amazing. I never would have thought that 6 months after I left that day she would be gone.
I will always remember going shopping with her and the both of us trying every tape measure in Canadian Tire trying to find the perfect one for Matt for Christmas, Then going to different thrift stores and just looking at different things and seeing what treasures we could find. It was always our thing to go to thrift stores together and check out every thing in the store, from Christmas angels to glasses that neither of us really needed but always wanted to have.
Today I sit here and I cry all day alone realizing all I want to do is call her and talk to her and be with her and just comfort her. I miss my mom so much that it just hurts.
It was March 15th when Mom was diagnosed with Cancer again and by the time I got there May 27th to see her, she was so weak and had lost so much weight and was basically just laying on the couch. Even though that was my final week with her, it was still one of the best weeks of my life because I got to spend it with her. I miss her everyday and wish she had more time and was still here. I will never forget finding her that morning and never forget the week that followed, but for now I will always remember that last great time we had together on her birthday last year. To my Mom I wish you a happy birthday on November 29th. She would have been 69 this year, so young and so fabulous, I had the best Mom and I loved her more than anything and anyone in the world. You are a wonderful lady and please know I will miss you and cherish every moment we had together for the rest of my life.

Our Mothers

On June 1st of this year I lost my Mom to Cancer, It was one of the hardest and worse things I have ever gone through and I realized at that moment the most important person in the world to me was gone and I could no longer just call on her and talk to her everyday. On November 6th my husband Matt lost his wonderful Mom to Cancer and I was there with him and his dad and cousin Gilly on the day she passed away. It again was a horrible and sad day for the both of us and on this day Matt and I learned we now have to count on each other even more than before.
Our mothers were very similar, both very strong and wonderful supportive women, who loved and gave their everything until the end, both married and stayed with the man they loved for a very long time, my parents just past 52 years married and Matts just shy of 55 years married.
Both of our Moms were the most important people in our lives. They were both nurturing and loving to the end and stood by us. My husband and I both suffer the same pain as many of my friends do, losing your mother I think is the worst and hardest thing ever.
Matts Mom was a very strong and extremely intelligent and beautiful woman, she loved Matt until the end, and he loved her, spending his nights with her in Hospice, only leaving to go home and have a quick shower. He stood by her until the end and spent every waking moment to be with his Mom the last few months. Matt definitely got his Moms strength and integrity.
Our mothers both believed in god and prayed and loved us until the end. They were both proud of their gay sons and supported us in every way possible. Matt and I sit here now and discuss how similar our parents are in many ways. Our Mothers and our fathers. Now we both look after an ailing father and deal with our grieve for our wonderful moms. To Vera Megan Allsopp, thank you for bringing up a wonderful young man for me to marry and love. I could not have asked for a better mother in law, and to Mom I am so proud to have had you as my mother, I miss you both every day and love both of you. Now you can both finally meet.

I wonder

I sit here and think many days about many things now that mom is gone and I wonder if you believe in God and in Heaven as my mother did, do you go to heaven, do you get to be reunited with the people you lost before you. I have to ask because for me I don't know what I believe for those who do believe , do they get what they believed in and do they go to the god they prayed to?
These are all things I am wondering about, is my mother with Brad and my Uncle Ron, and my grandparents, does she get to see her best friend again?
I am not sure what I believe and I definitely do not believe in religion but I do believe in a higher power whether that is god or whatever or whoever?
I just honestly hope that Mom is sitting up and watching over me and got to be with Bradley again and is having tea and fishing with my grandfather and talking with Uncle Ron and seeing all of our old neighbors and discussing how great their kids are here on earth. I hope this is the way it is and what she is doing.
My mom as many mothers were taken far too soon and now I just mourn her death and know that she is not in pain but have a hard time believing that she is happy, I can only hope she is. Hope is a whole other thing in that respect as I had hoped for years that my mother would never get sick and suffer the way she did. I had always thought she would be here and we could talk in the phone.
In the end I am just left wondering and will never know. Miss you Mom and love you lots.

Hubby Gone Again

Well I know it has been forever but I honestly have had the worst year I could ever imagine and I will tell you a bit about that so you can fully understand what I am doing and going through in my fabulous little life.
But first things first , Matt was gone all summer from July 2nd until September 21 and then was home until October 26th and had to leave unexpectedly again. As some of you may know Matts mom was diagnosed with Cancer in early July and he had to spend most of the summer there with his folks and deal with stuff out in Vancouver. It has been a hard year for both of us but extremely hard being apart. As of last Sunday his mom was put into Hospice and is not going to be getting out and they have told us it is now just a matter of time whether that be a week or a month from now we do not know so he flew back out to Vancouver to be with her and has been spending every night at hospice with her.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for Matts mom and love her dearly, I am having an extremely hard time with this as well and it has only been 5 months to date since mom passed away from almost the same cancers. It is also extremely hard for both of us as our fathers are both not well too. My father is on dialysis three days a week and Matts dad has been recently diagnosed with Alzeimers.
I can not imagine losing Mom Allsopp this year as well but now it is become a reality and is just going to happen. I am still grieving my mom every day and do not think the pain will ever go away and am not sure I want it to, It reminds me every day how fabulous a mother I had and how much I miss her.
I will be flying out to Vancouver as well here in the next couple weeks and be there for Matt, not sure what kind of support I will be but I will try and I will be there for him and stand by him. His mother , like my mother is the world to Matt and I never thought that in the same year we would both lose our moms.

Other things that have happened this summer to us is we lost my brother inlaw Lorne who passed away in September, I feel bad for Cheryl but am still not ready to reconnect with her totally. I can not imagine losing my spouse.
A few more changes in our lives this year, our former best friends Ken and Barbie and Skunkhead, (obviously not their real names) are no longer our friends and they can't even handle to say hi. Matt and I were both fooled by their phoniness and extreme childish behavior. Oh well I am so glad they are no longer a part of our lives. I am so glad that those jealous people.
I honestly thought I would miss them after supposedly being their best friends for the last two years but I do not.

I have been keeping myself busy in the house and doing the final little things around here to complete our renovations but yet everyday I seem to add a new project to the list and keep doing them and then add another. I have given all the floors another  coat of varnish,  redid some of the kitchen and added a pantry , touched up all the paint in the house and finally finished the stairs. I also redid two pieces of furniture for the house and built  patio table and bench.

Now the new projects for this month are to  wallpaper the bathroom, paint the ceiling in the powder room silver, give the stairs another coat of varnish. I am also building some built in shelves for the sides of the fireplace I built last year.
I have also started my own design business and have to give a quote for a job here soon, I also refinish antique furniture and am currently working on three large pieces for a neighbor and good friend. Anyhow I will keep you all up to date with Matts mom and what is happening. Thanks for reading and I will try to be back sooner than I have been in the past.