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Going greener can be a whole lotta fun, as well as saving money and helping the environment. So I've discovered after buying a second hand 2004 Volkswagen Golf TDI.

We'd been talking about replacing our '97 Chevy Cavalier with a smaller, more fuel efficient, safer, more reliable car for about a year.  Recently rising gas prices, as well as some mechanical difficulties with the Cavalier (the latest was a leaking water pump) had been adding some urgency to the situation. 

It's been an exciting day - I was pretty nervous as I rolled into Campus for my first day of teaching - I'd prepared for two courses of two sections each, for a total of 6 hours contact time. Last time I stood in front of a classroom full of university students was at least ten years ago. As I stood waiting for students to arrive, I was wondering how it would feel to be teaching after having been away from it for so on.

Just over two months ago, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer.
She had been receiving treatment for neurological symptoms, which had
not been responding as well to treatment as her specialist had
expected. He suspected that there might be complicating factors, and
ordered tests that eventually revealed the presence of a cancerous
mass in Mom's left lung. His conscientiousness led to an early stage
detection, a glimmer of luck in a statistically grim landscape.

Mom had been a smoker for most of her adult life, and had succeeded in

It's been something over six months since Pamela and I packed up and moved to Vancouver Island. Sometimes it seems like it's been the blink of an eye, but on reflection we've settled into something of a routine, got stuff somewhat unpacked and set up, met some great neighbours, had friends visit, started exploring the surrounding communities.