The kids were back in school Tuesday, marking the beginning of what might be called the New Year’s Day of the family fiscal year. It’s the day when running a family really begins. First there’s school and then the rollout of subsequent extra-curricular activities such as hockey, figure skating, piano lessons and Brownies.
All parents know the routine and looking at the demands that will be placed upon them in the coming year the view can be daunting. Consider, for a moment, the early mornings, the after school dashes to lessons, Sunday morning hockey practices and games, Saturday afternoon play dates, packed sandwiches, and hours upon hours in the SUV, no matter how deep the snow may get.
Add to this list all of the other things families have to do, like soon cobbling costumes together for Halloween, Christmas shopping, report cards and the not-so-small matter of juggling all of this with a job. It all begins to look formidable — much like standing at the bottom of Mount Everest and looking up.
But then, you have to take a step back and wonder why you do it. Some say happiness is achieved in doing the small things. In life, it is the journey that matters more that the goal. If you don’t believe us, take a peek at your little ones tucked into bed tonight. Slow down once in a while and enjoy.
Parents, we take our hats off to you, and remember, it is only 10 months to the next summer holiday.
Sneaky devils
Who among us has not received a photo radar speeding ticket while driving on the Anthony Henday, past the Ray Gibbon overpass?
And, who among us doesn’t speed – there – anymore?
Photo radar is a tax, plain and simple. It does not prevent speeding any more than Smoky the Bear prevents forest fires. All it does is teach us not to speed where the cops’ favourite photo radar haunts are.
The white pick-up truck sits on top of the Ray Gibbon overpass, on the east side, zapping speeders travelling east on the Henday. Sneaky little devils, aren’t they? Motorists will get nabbed once, but they won’t make that mistake – there – again.
This may be written with a certain degree of levity, but speeding is a serious issue. We hear of idiots screaming down the freeway doing in excess of 160 km per hour. Those people pose a serious risk to others who share the road. They should lose their licence and face criminal charges. Photo radar, however, does not take into account common sense.
There’s a reason the white pick-up truck is sitting there. The traffic flow below quite often is in excess of 100 km per hour. Why? A lot of traffic clears the Henday before Ray Gibbon, exiting onto the Whitemud, Highway 16A and the Yellowhead. With significantly less traffic and three lanes to choose from, the traffic is intuitively going to flow faster.
Is 110 km-120 km per hour an unacceptable rate of speed at this location? Common sense dictates no, but the photo radar machine is indifferent. So, drivers, use counter-common sense when travelling under the Ray Gibbon Drive overpass.
