I'm Officially a Bad Uncle

I've finally given up and done what I swore I would never do: rather than selecting & sending a customized birthday present to a niece or nephew, I just sent a card with a $20 (CDN) bill.

Sending money just seems like such a cop-out. I'm officially a failure as an uncle. I feel dirty.

The sad reality though is that I rarely get back to Canada these days. When I first moved to the US, I was returning to the Dominion every three months or so. Now, it's more like every 18 months. The four of them --a niece & nephew by one sister and two nieces by another-- are very young kids yet and growing quickly every day. Seeing them even quarterly wouldn't be enough to keep up with their growth rate and changing interests. I can't even keep track anymore of the presents I sent individually for past birthdays and christmas so I'm running into the possibility of accidentally sending the same item twice. Sure, it's the thought that counts etc., but that requires an adult perspective: I could barely expect that level of maturity from my own peer group let alone kids eight years old & younger.

In defeat, I'm caving in. Where the kiddie in question is too young to understand money, I'll trust their parents to either save it or spend it judiciously on our collective behalf. Daniel is old enough to understand (roughly) how money work so I'm sure his parents will let him exercise his own discretion.

God as my witness though, I will purchase proper gifts at christmas. Every kid deserves proper presents at the holidays. I'll just have to consult extensively with the family before buying. That will have to suffice to redeem my good uncle status.

I'm Officially a Bad Uncle

I've finally given up and done what I swore I would never do: rather than selecting & sending a customized birthday present to a niece or nephew, I just sent a card with a $20 (CDN) bill.

Sending money just seems like such a cop-out. I'm officially a failure as an uncle. I feel dirty.

The sad reality though is that I rarely get back to Canada these days. When I first moved to the US, I was returning to the Dominion every three months or so. Now, it's more like every 18 months. The four of them --a niece & nephew by one sister and two nieces by another-- are very young kids yet and growing quickly every day. Seeing them even quarterly wouldn't be enough to keep up with their growth rate and changing interests. I can't even keep track anymore of the presents I sent individually for past birthdays and christmas so I'm running into the possibility of accidentally sending the same item twice. Sure, it's the thought that counts etc., but that requires an adult perspective: I could barely expect that level of maturity from my own peer group let alone kids eight years old & younger.

In defeat, I'm caving in. Where the kiddie in question is too young to understand money, I'll trust their parents to either save it or spend it judiciously on our collective behalf. Daniel is old enough to understand (roughly) how money work so I'm sure his parents will let him exercise his own discretion.

God as my witness though, I will purchase proper gifts at christmas. Every kid deserves proper presents at the holidays. I'll just have to consult extensively with the family before buying. That will have to suffice to redeem my good uncle status.

Dear Car Maintenance Afficionados...

I have a 2001 Honda Civic LX. It has served me well for years and --automotive gods willing-- will do so for many more. My only maintenance complaint however is pictured below:



The covering layer of upholstery is slowly pulling away from the ceiling along the entire back. At the moment, this is merely cosmetic but I don't want it to get any worse; since I generally drive with the AC on rather than the windows open, there isn't much tension on the material from air flow but I should repair this sooner than later.

Does anyone have any advice on how to go about repairing such a thing? I'm guessing some form of fabric glue or adhesive would do the trick... is that so? Is there a particularly good product or brand? Should I leave this sort of thing to the professionals?

Any & all advice is welcome. (On the car issue, that is.)

Dear Car Maintenance Afficionados...

I have a 2001 Honda Civic LX. It has served me well for years and --automotive gods willing-- will do so for many more. My only maintenance complaint however is pictured below:



The covering layer of upholstery is slowly pulling away from the ceiling along the entire back. At the moment, this is merely cosmetic but I don't want it to get any worse; since I generally drive with the AC on rather than the windows open, there isn't much tension on the material from air flow but I should repair this sooner than later.

Does anyone have any advice on how to go about repairing such a thing? I'm guessing some form of fabric glue or adhesive would do the trick... is that so? Is there a particularly good product or brand? Should I leave this sort of thing to the professionals?

Any & all advice is welcome. (On the car issue, that is.)

Our Latest Roseland Visit

Last weekend was our first trip back to Roseland Resort and our trailer there since Memorial Day in May. kent4str's new employer (as of April) doesn't allow any leave time during the first 90 days: this was the first weekend he could take the Friday off.

For the most part, this was a rest-and-do-minor-maintenance kind of weekend. There were no big parties, no must-do social events or such. Co-trailer trash David worked on some of the landscaping around the trailer; kent4str attached weatherstripping to the base of the trailer door and replaced the broken faucet in the bathroom vanity:


( Click for other friends at the campgrounds... )

Our Latest Roseland Visit

Last weekend was our first trip back to Roseland Resort and our trailer there since Memorial Day in May. kent4str's new employer (as of April) doesn't allow any leave time during the first 90 days: this was the first weekend he could take the Friday off.

For the most part, this was a rest-and-do-minor-maintenance kind of weekend. There were no big parties, no must-do social events or such. Co-trailer trash David worked on some of the landscaping around the trailer; kent4str attached weatherstripping to the base of the trailer door and replaced the broken faucet in the bathroom vanity:


( Click for other friends at the campgrounds... )