Steven Helmer Publications

Getting up early on a weekday morning and realizing I can't play hooky from work even though I would prefer to just go back to bed after taking the kids to school. Yes, there technically isn't anything stopping me from doing that. But, it would be setting a bad example for the kids Oh well, guess there's nothing I can do about that. So, while I get ready to start my day, please enjoy this picture of a pelican.

Even though my daughters are both involved with sports (dance and figure skating), I've never been one of "those" parents who spends a great amount of time volunteering. Sure, I'll pitch in when asked and will fill in my required volunteer hours at the concession stand, etc. But, I've never been overly interested in doing anything beyond that. This is largely because I'm not a person who is overly social and have never been enthused about spending extra time with people I probably would never interact with if our kids weren't in the same sport. Not to mention, I'm also horrible with remembering names (my wife is the one who does that), something that can lead to some awkward situations. I am, however, making an effort to change that. And, I started this month by volunteering to help organize the annual Halloween Open Skate at the ice rink on October 28. To be honest, I'm still undecided about this new role. I'm definitely outside my com...