1st World Problems

 Here comes another political post.  Gird your loins friends. As you are well aware the federal PC party is looking for a new leader. They said, "see you later loser" to Erin O'Toole months ago. According to the die-hards in his party, he was too liberal when he spoke on acceptance and how the party itself needs to move forward (and maybe a little scooch left) if it wanted to be a contender for becoming Canada's top party.  That was far too much and he was catapulted out. I bet he was hurt at the time but is now super relieved that he isn't the one that needs to herd all of the cats that are currently running to be the leader.  Let's start with Jean Charest. He seems to be the safe choice. He is the best choice to work on stopping the growing divide in our country. He acknowledges that the country can't continue this way if we ever want to work together. He comes with some issues though. He has been in the leader's seat before. In 1993 he was the leade...

 I am a big believer in signs from the universe.  Not just from the universe, but I also think that loved ones who have passed send us little messages from time to time.  Now, I am aware that both of these beliefs may just be tools for dealing with loss or dealing with life every day. And I am ok with that. Both are also family-held beliefs. When my mom and I see dragonflies, we think of her mom. When I smell Noxzema or tobacco I think of one of my grandfathers. For the other, it's Old Spice and Lamb's Navy Rum.  As an example, when my daughter was born she had a collapsed lung and a few other issues. We couldn't hold her for the first few days. And no one was really able to tell us what was wrong. One of the times that my mom stepped outside to get a break from the NICU, she was surrounded by dragonflies. A cloud of them came out of nowhere and buzzed around her for a few minutes. She felt calm, and like her mom had come to tell her it was going to be ok. And it was...

 Hello, tall people of the world.  Keep in mind that I am under five feet tall when I stand up straight, so there is a possibility I am addressing even those who don't consider themselves tall.  I have a small favor to ask of all of you people who can reach things off of grocery store shelves and the like.  When you find yourself in a group setting where all of the attention is focused on one part of the room, say a stage during a performance, before you step into an empty space, or take an empty chair, maybe just take a look around. One of us who needs to take a runner to get into a tall bed might be using that space to see.  I was out in public a lot this weekend watching my daughter compete, and I must say, people do not check their surroundings. Before you sequoias that walk get mad at me and say I could say something, or push my way back in front, what sound easier? You take a two-second look around, or I get all pushy with the shoulder tap and the squeezin...

 I want to start today with an improv game of sorts. There will be no theatre games. I guess it's more of an imagination exercise. I promise this is leading up to something.  In front of you, there is a chocolate bar, a Kit Kat. At this point, the fingers are all together and the bar is in one piece. It is a lovely-looking snack and the future of your nibble is outstanding. Ok, wait, maybe a Kit Kat won't work for this.  So, you have a rope. It's a long rope, made of many fibers that all work together because of the way the fibers are braided and intertwined. Then a person you know comes along and needs some rope. This won't work either.  Have you played Kerplunk? If you haven't, here is a small run-down. It's a game of strategy and some logic. There is a center tube with a top and a bottom. The middle of the tube has a whole bunch of tiny holes that you put very skinny, multi-colored plastic sticks into. The sticks from a kind of a nest. When your nest is forme...

 Who are we and what do we stand for? Until recently I thought we were all on the same side for the most part.  I have always thought of this city as one where, at the base, we all want what is best for us. We might not agree on all the topics, but we respect each other. With the constant protests every Saturday downtown I am beginning to see that there is a population that really doesn't care about anyone but themselves. Their liberty to march and throw smoke bombs at the citizens whose neighborhoods they force into lockdown matters more than the people who are just trying to get to work, or get groceries. I will never doubt anyone's right to protest. I will however question the thought process that these groups are currently using. The mandates have been lifted and were that not what the protestors were on about in the first place? Oh right, of course, it was never about that really. It was about a group of people who have never heard the word no. The people that have never ...

 Does anyone really know what they want to be when they grow up? Because I still don't know what I want to be. I should probably rephrase that. I have a fair idea of what I want to be, but really have no idea how to make that happen. When I was growing up I always had a pocket answer when some grown-up asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Sometimes lawyer, sometimes politician. I never could wrap my head around picking one thing to do for the rest of my life, except for one thing. For a while, I was sure I was going to be a nurse. I find the human body fascinating and it's kind of a family profession. Many of my aunts are nurses. Then when the time came to go to school, I decided that I didn't want to be in student loan hell for the rest of my life. Now I look back and realize that I just should have done it. And maybe someday I still will.  As soon as I hit school I found something that I loved to do. I loved and still love to write. Anything I submitted in school ...

 From the time our daughter was very young, we have (for the most part) let her make her own decisions.  This has led to a few different outcomes.  1. Very interesting outfits 2. A good sense of who she is 3. The occasional super stubborn streak. This may be more genetic-based than as a result of decision-making For the most part, she chooses what we would have for her, and I think that she is more confident because of it.  Then there are the other times. The times when she is incapable of making even the simplest decision. When she can't tell me where she wants to eat or go.  Right now she is on the precipice between junior high and high school. And with that change comes some serious choices that will impact the rest of her life. We have had her enrolled in a second language program since she was in kindergarten. We thought that she would be going all the way through school in that program just like her brother did. Then another plan was made by someone, I'm n...