Just like most of you, I was very excited to have this long weekend arrive. I had it all planned out: I was going to take a big bite out of my ongoing renovation at my house. I was to spend all day Sunday repairing the plaster in my living room. It was a big job, but if I budgeted my time just right I'd just be able to get it done. Around Tuesday of last week I began planning the weekend project: get up early, quick breakfast, then get to work.

On Wednesday I got a phone call from my brother's little girl (my Goddaughter) asking if she could come spend some time with me on Sunday. This put me in a bit of a situation: I love spending time with her, but I HAD to get the dining room done this weekend. So I had to make a decision....

Those of you that know me know that I had a bit of a health scare a few months ago and ended up undergoing having emergency surgery when my colon burst followed by another surgery that resulted in a 2 month stay in the hospital. After it was all over an done with I had made a promise to myself to never let what seems important to take precedence of what really is important. Thinking back to those days in hospital, I told my neice that of course she could come hang out with me.

While waiting for her to call for me to come and get her this morning, I tried to get a little bit of work done on the dining room. After the call came and I went to get her, I asked what she wanted to do today. Her response was something along the lines of "I don't know, what do you want to do." This presented me with a wonderful oppotunity.

On the way to my house after picking her up, we swung into the local home centre, bought a few extra tools and some work gloves - kid sized. My seven year old neice and I spent the afternoon repairing plaster and laughing like maniacs. I spent a few minutes showing her how to handle the tools and what to do, then set her loose. We spent the afternoon putting plaster on the walls, making a mess and laughing like maniacs.

At the end of the day, the dining room isn't finished, there is a pretty big mess now, and I am a bit behind schedule. However, the time spent today was productive in a different way, and what we built was more important than the walls in an old house. In fact, in situations like this I don't think that it is correct to say that time was "spent." That implies that it is gone and not coming back. Today's time (for me at least) was "invested" and I'm sure that as my neice grows, I'll see a return on that investment time and again!!

Have a great "rest of your weekend"

-Brad