Book #14 -- An Astronaut's Guide to Life On Earth by Chris Hadfield

How can one live in Milton and not read this book?  He has made us all proud.  He is a little older than me, just enough so our paths would not have crossed at high school.  But we would have had many of the same teachers.  In fact, his favourite math teacher was my favourite math teacher at high school.  However, that is where the comparison between me and him has to end.

He had a goal established for himself at the age of 9, and in making many of his life choices, he always asked himself if his decision would get him closer to being an astronaut.  I was never that goal driven, because I never knew, and I still don't know, what I want to be when I grow up.

I remember very vividly when they first started looking for Canadian astronauts, and they advertised in every high school across Canada.  They had a guest speaker come to my school and tell us what they were looking for in an astronaut. Ironically, I got to see this presentation at his alma mater and he didn't.

The book was fascinating.  I pretty much finished it in one day.  I never knew how complicated being an astronaut was.  I watched the movie "Gravity" recently.  In it, they prepare for a space walk in just a couple of minutes.  In the book, he describes it as a minimum two day ordeal getting the equipment ready, and then practicing what they are going to do, while figuring out everything that might go wrong and coming up with a contingency plan for it.

If you watched any of the videos sent by Hadfield to earth during his stint on the ISS, you have to read this book to see the context in which they were created.  A thoroughly enjoyable read. 

March 30

Fifteen years ago today, Rachel was born.  Look at her now:

OK, she may look a little tired and stinky, but she just won a bronze medal in the U15 Women's Epee Provincial Champions.  Here she is with her coach after the medal ceremony.

Book #13 -- The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely is the professor of one of the on-line courses I'm currently taking.  He has written three books, all offered generously as a bundle through the course, but I opted to borrow the books from the library.  That said, they are probably worth the price because they are well-written and insightful.

There are a couple of ideas that I'm taking out of the books that are easy to implement, and are fairly effective.  These ideas are nothing new, but the fact that they have been validated by experimental data, makes it more compelling to ensure I behave in this way:

1.  Acknowledge the work of others.  People want to know that their work is meaningful in the large picture.  We, as human beings, are always looking for validation of our work.  A simple nod of the head of a manager acknowledging the work of someone else is enough motivation for him/her to keep going.  Ignoring or destroying the work of someone else will quickly cause him/her to lose steam, and stop his/her output completely.  
2.  An authentic "sorry" makes a world of difference when dealing with people on a one-to-one basis.  

Book # 12 - Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

The book was written by my instructor for the on-line course entitled A Beginner's Guide to Irrational Behaviour.  He offered his three books in an e-bundle at a great price.  I picked the cheap way out . . . I signed them out from the library.  I'm sure that one of the reasons behind his course is to market his books outside of academia . . . but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  He deserves a wide audience.

His books are extremely easy to read, which is a huge accomplishment for any academic.  He uses anecdotes that are accessible for a wide audience, and he has a gift for explaining dry academic research in a manner that is extremely entertaining. As part of the course, I have had to read some of the articles.  I never would have made it to the end of the articles without falling asleep if I hadn't read his book ahead of time.

Ariely covers topics including marketing strategies (for example, how you are being manipulated if you are getting something for 'free'), why we volunteer to do things we would never do in a million years if we got paid for it,  and the psychology of honesty.  An excellent book if you are interested in human behaviour, that seems irrational at the surface, but actually may have evolutionary (or creationist?) explanations behind it.

March 27

It feels like all I do is study these days.

I am in the middle of two on-line courses . . . Introduction to Finance (I am learning a lot about the language of finance, which is the biggest hurdle that I have to overcome in terms of all the accounting/finance information that I get in the corporate governance world) and A Beginner's Guide to Irrational Behaviour which is a course in Behavioural Economics.  Both need 6-8 hours a week, so two full days a week dedicated to these.  Right now I'm working ahead so that I can enjoy my cruise with no course worries.

I'm also working on my Chartered Director designation.  I have finished four of five modules.  The last module is at the beginning of May, and then the exam is in June.  There is a lot of reading for this program.  

I just got back from Ottawa with Kaitlyn. . . we drove up Sunday afternoon and returned Monday evening.  Kaitlyn had the opportunity to swim with the uOttawa and Carleton teams.  She loved both teams and it was really hard for her to make a decision.  She has accepted Carleton.  It is really hard to believe that Kaitlyn won't be living with us next year.  :(  Go Ravens Go!

Book #11 - Fyre by Angie Sage

I'm very glad that I went back to the rest of the series before reading the final book . . . much of it would not have made sense otherwise.

A good story, predictable plot, lots of adventure.  No surprise twists along the way, and no deaths of major characters (so very unlike Rowling in this manner).   However, it was a good fun.  At the end, Sage indicated that a minor character in this book would become a major character in another series.  I'm pretty sure I won't be reading the next series.  I don't have kids interested in YA fiction anymore, other than of course good old Harry.

Book #10 -- To Sell is Human by Daniel PInk

I had read a couple of reviews that indicated that this book would be good for educators as we have to 'sell' our students on the curriculum.  However, it really is a handbook on selling in the traditional sense.  I think we would be all better off to read it to be able to see through traditional sales techniques.  The book corresponds with the "Psychology of Money" unit I just finished with the "A Beginner's Guide to Irrational Behaviour" on-line course I'm taking right now.  The unit gives a very brief overview on how marketers can use our predictable irrational behaviours around money and budget, and twist it into ways to sell us products we may or may not need.  Fascinating stuff, and I now walk into a retail store with a whole different set of eyes.

That said, I did pick up one tidbit for educators.  One of the things we are told that students need for the future is problem solving skills.  However, that is not the number one skill employers want.  Employers want employees that can identify what the problem is . . . . this is essential if you want to solve the problem.  For example, if you notice that the traffic into your store has slowed, you can solve the problem by putting new displays in the window, advertising through traditional means, etc.  However, if the problem is not marketing, but the bees' nest that has developed over your front door, none of those strategies will work.

Book # 9 -- Darke by Angie Sage

Book 6 of seven in the series.  I'm finally caught up so I can read the new one.  I have to finish my coursework before I can do that.  

Book #8 -- Syren by Angie Sage

These books are easy reads . . . so it may look like I'm reading all day and all night, but I'm not.  This isn't as good as some of the others.  I have two more to read.  One chapter into the next one, and I'm pretty sure I've read it already.  I didn't remember much of this book.

Book #7 -- Queste

This is book 5 on my quest to finish the series.  I like the adventure in this book, and was reminded about how different the magic is in this series compared to the Harry Potter series.

Book #6 -- Focus by Daniel Goleman

Ironically, I found this book unfocused.  Started out well, but ended up really preachy about world issues.  Not that I disagreed with him, but I found it strange at the end of the book.  That said, there were a lot of tidbits sprinkled in the book that would be useful for educators and business folks.  I like the piece about Mindfulness . . . felt that it could be useful in a classroom full of students at-risk.

March 10

Just one more day before Derek is a half century.  Wow.  

Lots happening, with little motivation to blog.  Here are some snippets over the past few weeks.

1. The thaw has really taken its toll on the quinzee.  There was a new 'window' that appeared a couple of days ago (see above), and now the whole wall is pretty much gone.  Surprisingly, the roof is still sound.  The girls told me that they could stand on the quinzee when it was first built.  I guess this structure is safer than at first glance.  Too bad the girls never got the opportunity to sleep in it (our sleeping bags aren't rated for the really cold nights we've had here).
2. I have finished all of the volunteer points required for both the swim team and gymnastics club.  I thought I would be elated, but I'm actually quite sad. Kaitlyn is off to university next year, and although she is planning on swimming at university, I'll be too far away to take part.  Sarah has retired from gymnastics, and will not be competing again.  The parents on both clubs (and there are some, like us, who have kids on both teams) are absolutely fabulous, and I've enjoyed getting to know them.  I don't know what I will do with all my free time next year.
3. Speaking of those friends, I went to a birthday party for two of the swim friends, and broke my toe.  Not really sure how I did it, but it is now a nasty shade of purple.  My toe doesn't like shoes right now.  Hopefully it will be better soon because . . . .
4. The cruise is booked.  I'll be travelling with mom and 4 of her condo friends to Mexico, Honduras and Belize.  Can't wait!  I have never been to these countries and I have never been on a cruise.  Hope to climb a Mayan ruin on an excursion and lie on a beach for a couple of hours.  Ladies only, so Derek and the girls are staying at home.  I will be the youngest of the group by about 18 years, but one of the ladies (who is older than mom) is planning on spending much of our 'at sea' days in the pool and sipping wine.  I guess I just found my kindred spirit.
5. Kaitlyn is finally working on her NLS.  She has wanted to take her lifeguard course for a long time, but never got around to it due to swimming, coaching and working (ironically, as a swim instructor).  Kaitlyn will have a ton of first aid training as a result, and Sarah has her Wilderness First Aid, thanks to Bronte Creek Project in first semester.  Reassuring to know that they know what to do in case of an emergency.
6. All three girls have to work on Derek's birthday.  It will be up to me to entertain him. Do I have to stick with the Mountsberg tradition, or can we go to a grown-up place instead?
7. The paperwork is building up . . . time to start the taxes, file for medical/dental benefits, etc.  Sigh.

Book #5 -- Physik by Angie Sage

This book is number 3 of the 7-book Septimaus Heap series that started with Magyk.  I've read most of them before, but the last book has just been purchased by one the of the girls and I wanted to remind myself of the key characters and plots before reading the last book.  The series is another wizard, who at age 11, and without any real family, is needed to save the world from evil threats.  (Like Harry Potter and Bartimaeus series, but the similarity ends there).  Written for youth, but enjoyed by adults.

Book #4 -- Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath

Highly recommended for anyone who ever has or ever will make a decision.  The book helps to find blind spots in one's perspective, as well as looking forward to the effects of the decision when made.  I've already used it twice in my personal and professional life.  The book is extremely easy to read . . . it intersperses the psychology and economy theory with personal, business and education anecdotes.

March 3

Part of the reason for the leave was to be able to complete all of the volunteer hours (volun-told hours) required as a parent of a competitive athlete.  That's done now.  Whatever am I going to do with my spare time?

Made a Harry Potter dinner for tonight. . . . 

Mrs. Weasley's Meat Pie

Kreacher's French Onion Soup

Treacle Tart with Florean Fortescu's ice cream 

Book #3 -- 419

If you insist on a linear plot, this is not the book for you.  It bounces back and forth from past to present, and follows three distinct characters who meet in the end of the book.

If you can handle the bouncing around, it is a great book.  However, the book left way too many unanswered questions for me.  I like a book to wrap things up in the end.