Last night Brian and I went to see City and Colour. It was an awesome concert and the venue was perfectly suited to Dallas Green's silky voice. He did a an a capella song that left me bumpy.
It got me thinking about all the concerts I have been too over my life and I decided to compile a list. An eclectic, sort of weird, list:
54-40
The Northern Pikes
Colin James
Barenaked Ladies
Alanis Morisette
The Skeletones
U2
New Kids on the Block (x2)
The Proclaimers
Blue Rodeo
Chris Shepard (does he even count?)
Jann Arden
JP Hoe
The Killers
Soweto Gospel Choir
James Blunt
City and Colour
The Philosopher Kings
Rascalz
Blue October
Nelly Furtado (It was free. Just so you know.)
I feel like there could easily be another half a dozen or so. There are definitely a few hazy memories from the University era. I may have been at the concert or I may have been at a house party with a really good stereo. Not sure.
Blogging through travel and adventure and now into motherhood in suburbia. Not sure yet which is more scary.
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!
As the year draws to a close I cannot help but reflect on the past and feel hopeful for the future. I know that it is trite and a little romantic but I have been doing it my whole life so I'm not going to stop now.
2008 was a wonderful year and was probably the least self-involved year I have ever lived, for obvious reasons. This was the year of the Paisley. The first few months are a complete blur and as I emerged from the fog, I never stopped focusing entirely on her and what she was doing. As I sat down to think about this year and what it has meant, I struggled to think of much outside of motherhood and the goings on in my little cozy life at home. There are a few things that made 2008 a year to remember however: I turned 30 (with very little pomp and circumstance), Brian finished law school and started working which was an exciting time in our life, we went to Vancouver Island on our first family vacation, my family joined me in the Walk to Cure Diabetes and we raised $1000 and had a great time, I went to the New Kids on the Block concert and loved every second of it, Barrack Obama won the US election and I ran my first 10k race. This year has confirmed the importance of family and friends and has easily been one of the best years of my life. I feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful husband who I enjoy being with so much. I feel like for the first time in my life, as a mother, that everything is exactly as it should be. I feel calm, happy, secure, loved and very, very lucky.
I have never had any trouble making New Year's resolutions and although I don't always keep all of them I usually give it a good shot. My biggest struggle is in keeping the number of resolutions reasonable and so far this year I've made 17 resolutions and I have no doubt that several more will occur to me in the next few days. And here is the list as it currently stands:
1. Get outside every single day.
2. Blog more often and work on the site. I am starting a web design and management course in March which should help me to take strongasaknox.com to the next level.
3. Practice the guitar more.
4. Write every day. (There are all kinds of mini-goals built into this but we'll leave that for another post.)
5. Attend Blogher 2009. I had every intention of going last year but with Paisley being so young I didn't feel comfortable. Now, I still don't feel comfortable but if I'm being honest it's because I'm intimidated by the idea of it. Still not sure if we can swing it financially but I'm going to leave it on the list anyway.
6. Work on my websites and get them to where they need to be. This includes my blog and my professional site. (See # 16)
7. Lose weight. This has been a hard year for me as far as this one goes. Never in my life have I struggled with my weight, until now. I put on just over 70lbs with Paisley, mostly due to my diabetes but partly due to pregnancy related self-indulgence. After I had her I got thyroiditis and have been having a heck of a time getting my thyroid levels right. All this means that despite going to the gym,running, nursing and eating well I am still heavier than I have ever been. So, my goal is to lose 20 lbs by June 1st.
8. To run a half marathon, preferably the Vancouver Half.
9. To make our weekly family meetings more of a priority.
10. To manage my diabetes better and consistently keep my A1C under 6.0. My diabetes has been getting progressively getting worse since I had Paisley and I am struggling to stay on top of it. I may need to look into a pump within the next year or so because my stomach is starting to look like a scatter plot from all the injections.
11. I got a new camera for Christmas and I want to make an effort to get out and take more pictures.
12. I vow to keep the crumbs out of the margarine. I'm tired of getting in trouble and only recently learned that for Brian, crumbs in the marg are like what soggy crackers are to me. So I respect his need for clean butter.
13. Stand straighter.
14. Get more creative with meals and eat more local and organic food. Over the past year I have moved almost entirely to organic foods. This year I plan on cooking more vegetarian meals and sourcing out some local, grass-fed meats.
15. I have made a few friends this year which has been great, but even more importantly I have reconnected with some old friends. This year I will continue to make friends a priority and will make the effort to see them more often.
16. I am incorporating (name TBA) my communications firm in the next month and will be working to develop a client base. Working from home so far has been both enjoyable and profitable and I like the structure it gives me.
17. Move. This is the year we are going to buy a new house. Yay!
Yup, I think that's it.
To my readers (all 6 of you), I hope that 2009 is good to you and brings you love, health, happiness and a Chia pet. Haven't you always wanted a Chia pet?
2008 was a wonderful year and was probably the least self-involved year I have ever lived, for obvious reasons. This was the year of the Paisley. The first few months are a complete blur and as I emerged from the fog, I never stopped focusing entirely on her and what she was doing. As I sat down to think about this year and what it has meant, I struggled to think of much outside of motherhood and the goings on in my little cozy life at home. There are a few things that made 2008 a year to remember however: I turned 30 (with very little pomp and circumstance), Brian finished law school and started working which was an exciting time in our life, we went to Vancouver Island on our first family vacation, my family joined me in the Walk to Cure Diabetes and we raised $1000 and had a great time, I went to the New Kids on the Block concert and loved every second of it, Barrack Obama won the US election and I ran my first 10k race. This year has confirmed the importance of family and friends and has easily been one of the best years of my life. I feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful husband who I enjoy being with so much. I feel like for the first time in my life, as a mother, that everything is exactly as it should be. I feel calm, happy, secure, loved and very, very lucky.
I have never had any trouble making New Year's resolutions and although I don't always keep all of them I usually give it a good shot. My biggest struggle is in keeping the number of resolutions reasonable and so far this year I've made 17 resolutions and I have no doubt that several more will occur to me in the next few days. And here is the list as it currently stands:
1. Get outside every single day.
2. Blog more often and work on the site. I am starting a web design and management course in March which should help me to take strongasaknox.com to the next level.
3. Practice the guitar more.
4. Write every day. (There are all kinds of mini-goals built into this but we'll leave that for another post.)
5. Attend Blogher 2009. I had every intention of going last year but with Paisley being so young I didn't feel comfortable. Now, I still don't feel comfortable but if I'm being honest it's because I'm intimidated by the idea of it. Still not sure if we can swing it financially but I'm going to leave it on the list anyway.
6. Work on my websites and get them to where they need to be. This includes my blog and my professional site. (See # 16)
7. Lose weight. This has been a hard year for me as far as this one goes. Never in my life have I struggled with my weight, until now. I put on just over 70lbs with Paisley, mostly due to my diabetes but partly due to pregnancy related self-indulgence. After I had her I got thyroiditis and have been having a heck of a time getting my thyroid levels right. All this means that despite going to the gym,running, nursing and eating well I am still heavier than I have ever been. So, my goal is to lose 20 lbs by June 1st.
8. To run a half marathon, preferably the Vancouver Half.
9. To make our weekly family meetings more of a priority.
10. To manage my diabetes better and consistently keep my A1C under 6.0. My diabetes has been getting progressively getting worse since I had Paisley and I am struggling to stay on top of it. I may need to look into a pump within the next year or so because my stomach is starting to look like a scatter plot from all the injections.
11. I got a new camera for Christmas and I want to make an effort to get out and take more pictures.
12. I vow to keep the crumbs out of the margarine. I'm tired of getting in trouble and only recently learned that for Brian, crumbs in the marg are like what soggy crackers are to me. So I respect his need for clean butter.
13. Stand straighter.
14. Get more creative with meals and eat more local and organic food. Over the past year I have moved almost entirely to organic foods. This year I plan on cooking more vegetarian meals and sourcing out some local, grass-fed meats.
15. I have made a few friends this year which has been great, but even more importantly I have reconnected with some old friends. This year I will continue to make friends a priority and will make the effort to see them more often.
16. I am incorporating (name TBA) my communications firm in the next month and will be working to develop a client base. Working from home so far has been both enjoyable and profitable and I like the structure it gives me.
17. Move. This is the year we are going to buy a new house. Yay!
Yup, I think that's it.
To my readers (all 6 of you), I hope that 2009 is good to you and brings you love, health, happiness and a Chia pet. Haven't you always wanted a Chia pet?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Some Things That Recently Clicked
I don't know that I have been any more contemplative this week than I normally am but for some reason I have experienced a few of those moments where I've heard something and have experienced an almost audible click, as my puny little brain shifted gears into an entirely new way of thinking:
1. I was listening to CBC's Tapestry and they had a Jewish philosopher on there discussing their belief in soul traits. In short, they attempt to retrain the soul so that whatever it's impulse is, let's say anger, is replaced by something more positive. The example they gave was a mother who would often yell at her daughter over the smallest of things. After retraining her soul, she learned a new way to cope with her feelings and when something bad happened she would visualize the two options (to yell, or to speak calmly and respectfully). Anyway, the guest was saying that when that mother chose to speak nicely to the daughter instead of berating her, she was not only giving a gift to her daughter but to her grandchildren. Her grandchildren would have a better mother because of her actions. This same sentiment can be extrapolated to many of the relationships in our lives - by being a good wife I will teach Paisley what a healthy marriage looks like. By being kind to her and treating her with respect, I will make her a stronger woman, a better mother and a happier person. This is not news to anyone but I had never really thought about it beyond Paisley. I had never considered the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who stand to benefit from my behaviour.
It also made me feel very lucky that I had the parents and family that I did. Now I recognize that I am not the only one to benefit from the things I learned growing up. Paisley will benefit from having a mother that was never treated unfairly, never berated or belittled and never disrespected. It makes every experience and opportunity all the more valuable.
2. Brian gets a daily atheist quote on his iGoogle and read one of them to me last week:
This one resonated more than the others had for some reason. Atheism is often so vilified that I can't help but internalize it just a little. This made so much sense to me - billions of people who believe in Allah do not believe in Vishnu. Billions of people who consider themselves Christians do not believe in Allah. Every religious person is more atheist than they are believer - there are hundreds, even thousands of Gods to choose from and religious people choose to not believe in any of them except one (or I suppose several if you are Hindu). As an atheist I believe in one measly god less than everyone else.
3. I knew that having a baby would change me. I knew it would make me more tired, maybe more emotional, more protective and less able to have an adult conversation. What I didn't count on was becoming fierce. I feel stronger, more confident, more capable, better equipped, less scared and more determined than I ever had. I don't really know why this would happen and to be honest it's a little counter-intuitive since I spend a lot more time at home, alone, sometimes in a bathrobe. Maybe it's nature giving me the qualities I need to protect my hut and the people in it or maybe it's the knowledge that I have a child to take care of. It's just as likely that after 9 months of pregnancy, 24 hours of labour, a 6 inch incision from which a a child emerged, and many sleepless nights I've turned into a raging bitch. :)
1. I was listening to CBC's Tapestry and they had a Jewish philosopher on there discussing their belief in soul traits. In short, they attempt to retrain the soul so that whatever it's impulse is, let's say anger, is replaced by something more positive. The example they gave was a mother who would often yell at her daughter over the smallest of things. After retraining her soul, she learned a new way to cope with her feelings and when something bad happened she would visualize the two options (to yell, or to speak calmly and respectfully). Anyway, the guest was saying that when that mother chose to speak nicely to the daughter instead of berating her, she was not only giving a gift to her daughter but to her grandchildren. Her grandchildren would have a better mother because of her actions. This same sentiment can be extrapolated to many of the relationships in our lives - by being a good wife I will teach Paisley what a healthy marriage looks like. By being kind to her and treating her with respect, I will make her a stronger woman, a better mother and a happier person. This is not news to anyone but I had never really thought about it beyond Paisley. I had never considered the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who stand to benefit from my behaviour.
It also made me feel very lucky that I had the parents and family that I did. Now I recognize that I am not the only one to benefit from the things I learned growing up. Paisley will benefit from having a mother that was never treated unfairly, never berated or belittled and never disrespected. It makes every experience and opportunity all the more valuable.
2. Brian gets a daily atheist quote on his iGoogle and read one of them to me last week:
"...even believers are strong atheists – they deny the existence of hundreds of gods. Atheists like me merely deny one more god than everyone else already does – in fact, I deny the existence of the same god already denied by believers in other gods, so I am not doing anything that billions of people don’t do already." Richard Carrier, Sense and Goodness Without God
This one resonated more than the others had for some reason. Atheism is often so vilified that I can't help but internalize it just a little. This made so much sense to me - billions of people who believe in Allah do not believe in Vishnu. Billions of people who consider themselves Christians do not believe in Allah. Every religious person is more atheist than they are believer - there are hundreds, even thousands of Gods to choose from and religious people choose to not believe in any of them except one (or I suppose several if you are Hindu). As an atheist I believe in one measly god less than everyone else.
3. I knew that having a baby would change me. I knew it would make me more tired, maybe more emotional, more protective and less able to have an adult conversation. What I didn't count on was becoming fierce. I feel stronger, more confident, more capable, better equipped, less scared and more determined than I ever had. I don't really know why this would happen and to be honest it's a little counter-intuitive since I spend a lot more time at home, alone, sometimes in a bathrobe. Maybe it's nature giving me the qualities I need to protect my hut and the people in it or maybe it's the knowledge that I have a child to take care of. It's just as likely that after 9 months of pregnancy, 24 hours of labour, a 6 inch incision from which a a child emerged, and many sleepless nights I've turned into a raging bitch. :)
Friday, June 08, 2007
Small but Simple Ways to Improve the World...
Following is a list of things I swear to you, my readers, that I will never do:
1. I will never spit out of my car window. Not unless a bee flies in my mouth or I happen to drive past the guy responsible for breeding the first miniature-poodle.
2. I will never insist I can sing, even though it's painfully obvious I can't, and then audition for some idol television show. If I audition it will be because I know damn well I cannot sing.
3. I won't pick a hairstyle and then use it everyday for the rest of my life. My hair will grow and change with the times.
4. I won't ever put on makeup while driving my car.
5. If I have kids I will never put them on a leash. Unless it's very long and tied to the front of a sled.
6. I won't blame other people if I never make something of myself.
7. I won't become morbidly (or even cheerfully) obese.
8. I will do my damnedest to never make an elderly person feel unwanted, bothersome or unimportant. Unless that elderly person is a Bush.
9. I will never reject new technology (or music, or fashion trends) simply because it is new. One armed blouses aren't new and they have always been stupid.
10. I won't ever let my blog just die without saying good-bye. Unless I myself die suddenly.
Okay, that's it for now. Now it's your turn? What do you promise to never do?
1. I will never spit out of my car window. Not unless a bee flies in my mouth or I happen to drive past the guy responsible for breeding the first miniature-poodle.
2. I will never insist I can sing, even though it's painfully obvious I can't, and then audition for some idol television show. If I audition it will be because I know damn well I cannot sing.
3. I won't pick a hairstyle and then use it everyday for the rest of my life. My hair will grow and change with the times.
4. I won't ever put on makeup while driving my car.
5. If I have kids I will never put them on a leash. Unless it's very long and tied to the front of a sled.
6. I won't blame other people if I never make something of myself.
7. I won't become morbidly (or even cheerfully) obese.
8. I will do my damnedest to never make an elderly person feel unwanted, bothersome or unimportant. Unless that elderly person is a Bush.
9. I will never reject new technology (or music, or fashion trends) simply because it is new. One armed blouses aren't new and they have always been stupid.
10. I won't ever let my blog just die without saying good-bye. Unless I myself die suddenly.
Okay, that's it for now. Now it's your turn? What do you promise to never do?
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
New Year's Resolutions
Do the Splits.
Play Squash at least once a week.
Call my friends more and make them more of a priority.
Write more.
Be at work on time.
Sit straighter. Walk straighter.
Be more gentle.
Get a baby.
Don't get worked up about things that aren't really that important.
Control blood sugars.
Run 4-5 times a week.
Have people over more often.
Play Squash at least once a week.
Call my friends more and make them more of a priority.
Write more.
Be at work on time.
Sit straighter. Walk straighter.
Be more gentle.
Get a baby.
Don't get worked up about things that aren't really that important.
Control blood sugars.
Run 4-5 times a week.
Have people over more often.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Just in case I forget...
Things that are bad for me:
Too many grey days in a row, inactivity, being alone, thinking too much, corn (you don’t want to know), sitting still for too long, stress, too much alcohol, too much internet, church, late nights, fighting with people I love, self-doubt.
Things that are good for me:
Being outside, running, being alone, laughing, talking with friends, a little bit of alcohol, psyllium fibre and flax, writing, reading, relaxing, picking at things (hair from brushes, grass from the cracks in pavement), massages, gardening, sex, pizza, voice mail messages, old friends, having a plan, early nights, long baths.
Too many grey days in a row, inactivity, being alone, thinking too much, corn (you don’t want to know), sitting still for too long, stress, too much alcohol, too much internet, church, late nights, fighting with people I love, self-doubt.
Things that are good for me:
Being outside, running, being alone, laughing, talking with friends, a little bit of alcohol, psyllium fibre and flax, writing, reading, relaxing, picking at things (hair from brushes, grass from the cracks in pavement), massages, gardening, sex, pizza, voice mail messages, old friends, having a plan, early nights, long baths.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Summer Hedonism
You thought that last week has been bad? Prepare for far worse...I'm going camping for ten days...with no access to the computer. So no blogging and no emails. There are quite a few emails that need to be written and blog comments to be posted so I've decided to take the lazy man's generic Christmas letter to a whole new level:
Justin: You're home! I can't believe it has been more than two years. Still reading your blog and still loving it - no worries. Any plans to come visit this year or will we have to wait?
Vernelle: He's home! He's home! Hope you're enjoying every minute of it.
Linda: Congrats on Hofstra...it sounds like you're enjoying law school already. I'm interested to see how it develops and how it differs from hubby's experience here.
Stephen: When are you ever going to learn? Either bulk up our troops with foreign involvement or get out of Afghanistan. How many times have we had this discussion...they're dying over there!
Craig & Ian: I love you and I hope to see you soon.
Greg: If you're reading this...get back to work! :-)
Matt: Got your email and loved it. I wasn't trying to goad you into a debate, just thought you might miss the opportunity to have those types of conversations. Point well taken.
Bobbi: Where are you? I miss my lovely lady friend...
I think that's it for now...please don't be offended if you weren't mentioned. In fact, be relieved, be very relieved.
Off to the Okanagan to gorge myself on fruit, wine and skinny dipping.
Justin: You're home! I can't believe it has been more than two years. Still reading your blog and still loving it - no worries. Any plans to come visit this year or will we have to wait?
Vernelle: He's home! He's home! Hope you're enjoying every minute of it.
Linda: Congrats on Hofstra...it sounds like you're enjoying law school already. I'm interested to see how it develops and how it differs from hubby's experience here.
Stephen: When are you ever going to learn? Either bulk up our troops with foreign involvement or get out of Afghanistan. How many times have we had this discussion...they're dying over there!
Craig & Ian: I love you and I hope to see you soon.
Greg: If you're reading this...get back to work! :-)
Matt: Got your email and loved it. I wasn't trying to goad you into a debate, just thought you might miss the opportunity to have those types of conversations. Point well taken.
Bobbi: Where are you? I miss my lovely lady friend...
I think that's it for now...please don't be offended if you weren't mentioned. In fact, be relieved, be very relieved.
Off to the Okanagan to gorge myself on fruit, wine and skinny dipping.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Things that make me laugh...
1. Dooce
2. People who buy Volvos because they're safe and then drive them like maniacs.
3. People who apply suncreen (presumably to protect them from the sun's damaging rays) while smoking.
4. Women in high-heel shoes in airports.
5. Fancy people who don't bother to wash their hands in the bathroom.
6. Stephen Harper's hair
7. When other people laugh...especially Brian
8. The term "Beep...boop...bap." Funniest when said in a high pitched robot voice.
9. Kurt Vonnegut
10. The absurdity of it all.
2. People who buy Volvos because they're safe and then drive them like maniacs.
3. People who apply suncreen (presumably to protect them from the sun's damaging rays) while smoking.
4. Women in high-heel shoes in airports.
5. Fancy people who don't bother to wash their hands in the bathroom.
6. Stephen Harper's hair
7. When other people laugh...especially Brian
8. The term "Beep...boop...bap." Funniest when said in a high pitched robot voice.
9. Kurt Vonnegut
10. The absurdity of it all.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Thunderings
I think I have some kind of attachment disorder. Usually people who aren't cuddled and loved enough as infants develop some kind of pathological aversion to deeper human relationships. I think I may have been over-cuddled because I have difficulty making a distinction between stranger and friend. I really care about people and that's not always a good thing.
I have learned the following things lately:
1. It is not normal to miss the guy who bought your car. It's not acceptable to wonder aloud how "Steve is liking the car" and "whether he's happy". Yah, apparently that's weird.
2. It's abnormal to buy things online just so you can visit people's houses and get a quick "peek at their life".
3. Hunting people down on the internet because you had a crush on them in grade two isn't "bumping into an old friend"...it's creepy.
4. Talking about your friends Heather and John as though they are your next door neighbours and not people who happen to run a website is also weird. In fact, having a whole host of "web friends" who you've never met but email regularly tends to be frowned upon. But not by the people emailing me because they are emailing me back...so maybe that's not weird?
5. Most people tend to put up big fat walls and I don't. I don't like to waste time. I am what I am and we've got so much to say and so many people are so damn worried about what others will think that they don't realize we are all dying. You have nothing to hide and everything to lose.
Anyway, the point it that I don't actually have to have MET someone to care about them. I need to feel connected to a lot of people. I like to know what other people are doing with their little slice of life and I want to hear all their stories. It makes me feel human and connected and not so alone on this big blue ball. (Big blue ball...ha...anyway...) Brian laughs at me because I am forever tracking down old friends and writing to them but you know what? They usually write me back so maybe they need it just as much as I do. Only they didn't know it yet.
I have learned the following things lately:
1. It is not normal to miss the guy who bought your car. It's not acceptable to wonder aloud how "Steve is liking the car" and "whether he's happy". Yah, apparently that's weird.
2. It's abnormal to buy things online just so you can visit people's houses and get a quick "peek at their life".
3. Hunting people down on the internet because you had a crush on them in grade two isn't "bumping into an old friend"...it's creepy.
4. Talking about your friends Heather and John as though they are your next door neighbours and not people who happen to run a website is also weird. In fact, having a whole host of "web friends" who you've never met but email regularly tends to be frowned upon. But not by the people emailing me because they are emailing me back...so maybe that's not weird?
5. Most people tend to put up big fat walls and I don't. I don't like to waste time. I am what I am and we've got so much to say and so many people are so damn worried about what others will think that they don't realize we are all dying. You have nothing to hide and everything to lose.
Anyway, the point it that I don't actually have to have MET someone to care about them. I need to feel connected to a lot of people. I like to know what other people are doing with their little slice of life and I want to hear all their stories. It makes me feel human and connected and not so alone on this big blue ball. (Big blue ball...ha...anyway...) Brian laughs at me because I am forever tracking down old friends and writing to them but you know what? They usually write me back so maybe they need it just as much as I do. Only they didn't know it yet.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Pathetic Ascetic
Things I live without:
cable, a microwave, disposable income, a stereo, a sandwich press, a vehicle, g-strings, call waiting and voicemail
Things I refuse to live without:
CBC radio, my hair straightner, my husband, my cat, a camera, a computer, the internet, running shoes and my library card
cable, a microwave, disposable income, a stereo, a sandwich press, a vehicle, g-strings, call waiting and voicemail
Things I refuse to live without:
CBC radio, my hair straightner, my husband, my cat, a camera, a computer, the internet, running shoes and my library card
Saturday, January 21, 2006
If I were Prime Minister...
If I were the PM of this wonderful country, this is what I would do:
1. I would revamp the education system and introduce a media and advertising course. I would have children learn about their role in the economy and the tactics used by those who wish to turn them into life-long consumers. I would have them study different advertising and marketing techniques and learn to critically evaluate the information they are bombarded with in the course of the day.
2. I would bring back physical education...and not just for young people. Grown ups could benefit from a daily 20 minute exercise recess too.
3. I would ban handguns. Those who use them for sports can either lock them up at an on location storage facility (if they are target shooters they have to go to the shooting range anyway, so why not store their guns there?) or move to America.
4. I would introduce creative sentencing and introduce tougher drinking and driving charges. First offense: license gone for a year. Second offense: gone for life. Third offense: charge them and send them to jail. I would provide good, effective addictions counseling in prisons. I would allow all prisoners to vote. They made mistakes, they are still citizens of this country.
5. I would provide financial incentives for those who choose public transportation. I would tax gas and I would invest in public transport and fuel alternatives.
6. I would remove the GST from feminine products...that's gander biased. We have to buy cotton rockets whether we like it or not. I would also remove it from books.
7. I would stop buying medical supplies from overseas. I would introduce a standardized medical supply production company and open factories in area of low employment. Said products (gloves, scissors, bedpans etc...) would be distributed across the country. Everyone would have access to the same supplies, the cost of healthcare would decrease dramatically (right now we pay $80 for each pair of American-made suture scissors...sheesh) and it would provide work where people need it most.
8. I would introduce a charge fee at the emergency room. Chronic illness and those suffering real emergencies would not have to pay the charge. Those with a runny nose would.
9. I would introduce a pay-work system in the government, similar to what already exists in the military. The government helps you pay for school provided you work in the civil service industry for a certain number of months/years.
10. I would provide more funding for low income housing and senior home care. Senior citizens would be paired up with low income families on a volunteer basis. Seniors feel like they have someone that cares about them, and single mothers get the help they need. The children end up with more involved adults and someone to come home to after school.
11. I would open more spots in medical school and work to make them less elitist. You shouldn't have to know at 21 what you want to be and have already taken all the pre-requisite courses. I would do away with American based standardized tests (LSAT,MCAT,GMAT,GRE etc.) and introduce similar tests, developed in Canada, and free to anyone who wishes to study and take them.
12. I would say "No, absolutely no, what the hell are you thinking" to the Americans with respect to the Missile defense program.
13. I would fund the CBC to the teeth. I would set up the written equivalent of the CBC and have a national newspaper, publicly funded and as unbiased as possible.
14. I would introduce exact proportional representation. Each vote would count for one vote in parliament. If in a riding the Liberal candidate received 5,000 votes but did not win the election, those 5,000 votes would be distributed to other liberal MP's. Each riding would still elect a representatives but the other votes would never be wasted. This means that parties like the Green Party that may only have one elected representative would still have the power of the 6% of Canadians who voted for them.
15. I would set up a free and voluntary exchange program for students across Canada. Students from all across the country would get the opportunity to live in another province for one semester. This would allow children to develop a national understanding and perspective. This would be especially helpful for the Quebec situation.
That's it for now, but I'm working on some more points. If this platform keeps developing at the rate it has been I'll be running in 2010..."Vote for me...I'm as sick of politics as you are!!"
1. I would revamp the education system and introduce a media and advertising course. I would have children learn about their role in the economy and the tactics used by those who wish to turn them into life-long consumers. I would have them study different advertising and marketing techniques and learn to critically evaluate the information they are bombarded with in the course of the day.
2. I would bring back physical education...and not just for young people. Grown ups could benefit from a daily 20 minute exercise recess too.
3. I would ban handguns. Those who use them for sports can either lock them up at an on location storage facility (if they are target shooters they have to go to the shooting range anyway, so why not store their guns there?) or move to America.
4. I would introduce creative sentencing and introduce tougher drinking and driving charges. First offense: license gone for a year. Second offense: gone for life. Third offense: charge them and send them to jail. I would provide good, effective addictions counseling in prisons. I would allow all prisoners to vote. They made mistakes, they are still citizens of this country.
5. I would provide financial incentives for those who choose public transportation. I would tax gas and I would invest in public transport and fuel alternatives.
6. I would remove the GST from feminine products...that's gander biased. We have to buy cotton rockets whether we like it or not. I would also remove it from books.
7. I would stop buying medical supplies from overseas. I would introduce a standardized medical supply production company and open factories in area of low employment. Said products (gloves, scissors, bedpans etc...) would be distributed across the country. Everyone would have access to the same supplies, the cost of healthcare would decrease dramatically (right now we pay $80 for each pair of American-made suture scissors...sheesh) and it would provide work where people need it most.
8. I would introduce a charge fee at the emergency room. Chronic illness and those suffering real emergencies would not have to pay the charge. Those with a runny nose would.
9. I would introduce a pay-work system in the government, similar to what already exists in the military. The government helps you pay for school provided you work in the civil service industry for a certain number of months/years.
10. I would provide more funding for low income housing and senior home care. Senior citizens would be paired up with low income families on a volunteer basis. Seniors feel like they have someone that cares about them, and single mothers get the help they need. The children end up with more involved adults and someone to come home to after school.
11. I would open more spots in medical school and work to make them less elitist. You shouldn't have to know at 21 what you want to be and have already taken all the pre-requisite courses. I would do away with American based standardized tests (LSAT,MCAT,GMAT,GRE etc.) and introduce similar tests, developed in Canada, and free to anyone who wishes to study and take them.
12. I would say "No, absolutely no, what the hell are you thinking" to the Americans with respect to the Missile defense program.
13. I would fund the CBC to the teeth. I would set up the written equivalent of the CBC and have a national newspaper, publicly funded and as unbiased as possible.
14. I would introduce exact proportional representation. Each vote would count for one vote in parliament. If in a riding the Liberal candidate received 5,000 votes but did not win the election, those 5,000 votes would be distributed to other liberal MP's. Each riding would still elect a representatives but the other votes would never be wasted. This means that parties like the Green Party that may only have one elected representative would still have the power of the 6% of Canadians who voted for them.
15. I would set up a free and voluntary exchange program for students across Canada. Students from all across the country would get the opportunity to live in another province for one semester. This would allow children to develop a national understanding and perspective. This would be especially helpful for the Quebec situation.
That's it for now, but I'm working on some more points. If this platform keeps developing at the rate it has been I'll be running in 2010..."Vote for me...I'm as sick of politics as you are!!"
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
So far 2006 is a mediocre year...
It's a New Year and I can't sleep. I've been up since about 4:00 for no good reason...maybe it's all those unacknowledged and unvocalized New Year's resolutions swimming around my head. Last year my resolution was to do the splits by 2006. I don't think I worked on it...even once. These are my resolutions for this year:
1. Quit smoking. (I figure that starting with something I already did a long time ago will start me off on the right track...)
2. Blog more and blog better...starting tomorrow.
3. Get a job. Way to aim high.
4. Lose some weight and eat better.
5. Call my friends more often.
6. Go somewhere I have never been before.
7. Learn a new skill. This is where my killer harmonica comes in...
8. Volunteer more.
9. Enjoy the moment.
10. Befriend a troop of mountain gorillas.
11. Remember not to get caught up in the life that is Calgary.
12. Be nicer to others and to myself.
How cool is this? It's my little brother's first academic paper and it's a very important one. I'm so proud of him. This is way better than that time he pretended to be a doctor on some online chat groups and convinced hundreds of people to abandon their medications.
1. Quit smoking. (I figure that starting with something I already did a long time ago will start me off on the right track...)
2. Blog more and blog better...starting tomorrow.
3. Get a job. Way to aim high.
4. Lose some weight and eat better.
5. Call my friends more often.
6. Go somewhere I have never been before.
7. Learn a new skill. This is where my killer harmonica comes in...
8. Volunteer more.
9. Enjoy the moment.
10. Befriend a troop of mountain gorillas.
11. Remember not to get caught up in the life that is Calgary.
12. Be nicer to others and to myself.
How cool is this? It's my little brother's first academic paper and it's a very important one. I'm so proud of him. This is way better than that time he pretended to be a doctor on some online chat groups and convinced hundreds of people to abandon their medications.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Gimme Some Credit...
Today I was told that I belonged to The Bay. They are annoyed that I need an hour on Sunday's to go to hip hop (don't they understand, that's my church?) and an hour on Wednesday nights to skate. Apparently having a life, even a life that is only two hours long, outside of work is unacceptable. Oh, and they want me to work Christmas and New Years. Something tells me that I won't be there very long.
Which leads me to divulge the following insider information, free to anyone who chooses to use it:
1. They don't want your money, they just want you to sign up for the credit card. That's how they make their money. You can use this to your advantage; sign up for the card, get the discount and then pay it off immediately at the till. Yes, you can do that. Then you get the money off and they never get a red cent in interest. (Which sits at a criminal 23% I might add)
2. The Bay will adjust your price for two weeks. If you buy something and it goes on sale within two weeks, you can take your receipt in and get the difference back. And guess what? That applies to Boxing Day too...go in, get your pick of styles, colours and sizes and then spend your boxing day having your sales associate work for you.
3. It's illegal to adjust prices up but the Bay does it. They cut the old price ticket out and print up a new one. If you see a gaping hole where a price should be, pretend to call your MLA or lawyer and see what happens.
So there you go...use it as you will. And tell them associate # 14351464 sent you.
Which leads me to divulge the following insider information, free to anyone who chooses to use it:
1. They don't want your money, they just want you to sign up for the credit card. That's how they make their money. You can use this to your advantage; sign up for the card, get the discount and then pay it off immediately at the till. Yes, you can do that. Then you get the money off and they never get a red cent in interest. (Which sits at a criminal 23% I might add)
2. The Bay will adjust your price for two weeks. If you buy something and it goes on sale within two weeks, you can take your receipt in and get the difference back. And guess what? That applies to Boxing Day too...go in, get your pick of styles, colours and sizes and then spend your boxing day having your sales associate work for you.
3. It's illegal to adjust prices up but the Bay does it. They cut the old price ticket out and print up a new one. If you see a gaping hole where a price should be, pretend to call your MLA or lawyer and see what happens.
So there you go...use it as you will. And tell them associate # 14351464 sent you.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Lost and Found...and Lost again.
I haven't written for awhile...not because I haven't had anything to write about but because it's been too hard to write about. I'm not going to get into the details but basically this is what happened:
1. Found out I was pregnant. Cried because my life was over. "What about all our plans to be a yuppie city couple who go for downtown drinks on Friday nights?"
2. Wrapped our heads around the idea that we were going to be parents.
3. Started to get really excited. Saw ourselves differently and started to plan. I adapted to the idea of being a yuppie mother who does downtown prenatal yoga on Friday afternoons.
4. Had a miscarriage.
5. Went for an ultrasound and was told "No! Everything is still there...you didn't miscarry." They showed me the image of a perfect little mini-baby...it all felt real for the first time.
6. My newly adapted mommy heart lept for joy.
7. "There is no heartbeat." My leaping heart stopped leaping and just started to flutter out of confusion. It finally settled on numb.
So that's that. An emotional rollercoaster of a week if I've ever had one. And I thought the time time the nurse said "metastastic cells" when she meant "metaplastic cells" was bad.
1. Found out I was pregnant. Cried because my life was over. "What about all our plans to be a yuppie city couple who go for downtown drinks on Friday nights?"
2. Wrapped our heads around the idea that we were going to be parents.
3. Started to get really excited. Saw ourselves differently and started to plan. I adapted to the idea of being a yuppie mother who does downtown prenatal yoga on Friday afternoons.
4. Had a miscarriage.
5. Went for an ultrasound and was told "No! Everything is still there...you didn't miscarry." They showed me the image of a perfect little mini-baby...it all felt real for the first time.
6. My newly adapted mommy heart lept for joy.
7. "There is no heartbeat." My leaping heart stopped leaping and just started to flutter out of confusion. It finally settled on numb.
So that's that. An emotional rollercoaster of a week if I've ever had one. And I thought the time time the nurse said "metastastic cells" when she meant "metaplastic cells" was bad.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
I Hate Alberta's Beefs
On Monday I got all dressed up like I actually had a job and headed off to do my radio interviews. The first one was with a political science professor who, in my opinion, typified whiny Albertans. He wants to separate because we aren't appreciated enough and "every once in a while I would like to get a Thank you card from the rest of Canada..." Jesus Christ. My tongue was practically bitten off by the time I left...I think I disagreed with pretty much everything he said. The bad part is that he's not really considered a nutjob in these parts...more of a vocal majority. I have a question for the rest of the province...
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??
Alberta currently has a $7 billion + surplus and the lowest unemployment rate around. The countryside is beautiful and the businesses are innovative and booming. The housing market is good and people are flocking here from the rest of Canada to get jobs. We pay NO provincial sales tax and our premier regularly sends us GST rebates. So what is everyone so pissed off about? I've heard the same old answers to my question...
"We need to be treated as an equal."
Guess what, we're not equals. We have 3 million people in this province...not even close to what Ontario and Quebec deal with.
"We're ignored by the rest of Canada."
Boo mother f'n hoo. Alberta ignores the rest of Canada too.
"Ottawa is full of suits who don't know what they're doing...just look at the gun registry."
Okay, gun registry was dumb...in practice if not in principal. All the parties are made up of "suits" and what the hell does that mean anyway?
I always get the impression that there is nothing that Ottawa could do that would make Alberta stop whining. We are the spoiled rich kid in the parking lot and we need a good kick in the ass.
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??
Alberta currently has a $7 billion + surplus and the lowest unemployment rate around. The countryside is beautiful and the businesses are innovative and booming. The housing market is good and people are flocking here from the rest of Canada to get jobs. We pay NO provincial sales tax and our premier regularly sends us GST rebates. So what is everyone so pissed off about? I've heard the same old answers to my question...
"We need to be treated as an equal."
Guess what, we're not equals. We have 3 million people in this province...not even close to what Ontario and Quebec deal with.
"We're ignored by the rest of Canada."
Boo mother f'n hoo. Alberta ignores the rest of Canada too.
"Ottawa is full of suits who don't know what they're doing...just look at the gun registry."
Okay, gun registry was dumb...in practice if not in principal. All the parties are made up of "suits" and what the hell does that mean anyway?
I always get the impression that there is nothing that Ottawa could do that would make Alberta stop whining. We are the spoiled rich kid in the parking lot and we need a good kick in the ass.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Mi Casa
Home. A four letter word, but not in the usual sense. It's hard to describe how it feels to be back. I was far more excited to return than I ever thought I would be. All of my life I have been waiting for my next big trip...planning another adventure. This time I was anxious to come home and ready to stay there. But, when the plane finally landed (24 hours after it left...ugh) I felt a mix of emotions...relief, excitement, and a bit of sadness that my life in Asia was now in the past. There were times where I hated living in Asia, I cursed their "backwards" ways and longed for a taste of home more than once. Now, I want to go back and I may just find myself heading to Chinatown as a refuge from the outside world.
Some things I've noticed since coming home:
1. People are loud. Everybody sounds like they are yelling all the time. There is no quiet calm anywhere it seems.
2. Serving sizes and the people who eat said serving sizes, are much bigger. I'm sure this isn't correct but I get the impression that everyone is a little overweight. Comparatively that is.
3. People here are very anal about personal space. This one is funny because when I first moved to Korea I would have said the same thing about them. There is no personal space in Korea. Here, there is so much that it seems everyone is forever calculating the greatest space to distance ratio in order to stand/shop/sit accordingly. Yesterday I stood behind some guy in line at the grocery store and had obviously miscalculated. I was too close and he let me know it with a look. I could have had my hand in his back pocket in Korea and he wouldn't have cared...or noticed.
4. There is a lot of stuff here and everybody wants it. Buy stuff, wear stuff, carry stuff, eat stuff, sell stuff, collect stuff, clean stuff and drive stuff.
5. On the upside, it's beautiful. I mean "take your breath away, shed a tear" stunning. We drove in from the airport and all we could see was a giant blue sky...like a blanket over the whole earth. The fields were turning from green to gold and the mountains were etched in the horizon in the distance. It really is the most beautiful country I have ever seen.
6. Everything is clean and well-organized. It lacks some character this way because every intersection has the same shops and stores as all the other streets but it's "nice".
7. The toilets flush. And you can sit on them.
8. People, for the most part, have no idea what Asia is like and cannot begin to understand what the last year of my life has been like. They also don't really care all that much. I'm home and that's what matters.
9. The public transportation here sucks compared to Asia. Taxis are expensive and everyone just drives.
10. And finally, but most importantly, it's home.
I have mixed feelings about being back but I'm here and I don't really have a choice. It's very nice to see my family again and it's really relaxing to be able to speak English and function so easily. I am going to give myself the time it will take to get "re-acquainted" and then see how I feel. But right now, I would kill for a bowl of tchenjon chegay and an hour at a bath house.
Some things I've noticed since coming home:
1. People are loud. Everybody sounds like they are yelling all the time. There is no quiet calm anywhere it seems.
2. Serving sizes and the people who eat said serving sizes, are much bigger. I'm sure this isn't correct but I get the impression that everyone is a little overweight. Comparatively that is.
3. People here are very anal about personal space. This one is funny because when I first moved to Korea I would have said the same thing about them. There is no personal space in Korea. Here, there is so much that it seems everyone is forever calculating the greatest space to distance ratio in order to stand/shop/sit accordingly. Yesterday I stood behind some guy in line at the grocery store and had obviously miscalculated. I was too close and he let me know it with a look. I could have had my hand in his back pocket in Korea and he wouldn't have cared...or noticed.
4. There is a lot of stuff here and everybody wants it. Buy stuff, wear stuff, carry stuff, eat stuff, sell stuff, collect stuff, clean stuff and drive stuff.
5. On the upside, it's beautiful. I mean "take your breath away, shed a tear" stunning. We drove in from the airport and all we could see was a giant blue sky...like a blanket over the whole earth. The fields were turning from green to gold and the mountains were etched in the horizon in the distance. It really is the most beautiful country I have ever seen.
6. Everything is clean and well-organized. It lacks some character this way because every intersection has the same shops and stores as all the other streets but it's "nice".
7. The toilets flush. And you can sit on them.
8. People, for the most part, have no idea what Asia is like and cannot begin to understand what the last year of my life has been like. They also don't really care all that much. I'm home and that's what matters.
9. The public transportation here sucks compared to Asia. Taxis are expensive and everyone just drives.
10. And finally, but most importantly, it's home.
I have mixed feelings about being back but I'm here and I don't really have a choice. It's very nice to see my family again and it's really relaxing to be able to speak English and function so easily. I am going to give myself the time it will take to get "re-acquainted" and then see how I feel. But right now, I would kill for a bowl of tchenjon chegay and an hour at a bath house.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
More Than Just Good Sushi
We're back from the edge of the world. After being stuck in Tokyo for 4 extra days, we're back in Daegu. What a ride. By Friday we had run out of underwear (the old rumour that you can get extra wear by flipping them inside-out is true), clean clothes, and patience. We showed up for our flight on Tuesday and were running behind. We were there nearly an hour before our flight left but we were too late. I've never heard of anywhere closing the gates an hour prior to takeoff. We couldn't believe it when they told us that the next available flight was on Friday. We tried to get on standby and of course, couldn't. By the time we got in line for our Friday flight they were offering voluntary bumps because they had overbooked the flight. So we took it. After being in Tokyo for that long, what did an extra day matter? The airline put us up in a fancy hotel and fed us all you can eat seafood and breakfast buffets. And gave us a free flight voucher. Not a bad ending to a long trip.
So, lets get to the good stuff. Tokyo is by far, the coolest place I have ever been. As the world's largest city (34 million people - can you believe that!? That's 12 million more than Mexico City) I expected it to be crowded. It wasn't. It was beautiful, modern, exciting, easy to navigate and unbelievably clean. I fell head over heels in love with the city. The food was delicious and we saw so many cool things. Here are some of them:
1. Asakusa: The area where we stayed, first in a guesthouse and later in a capsule motel. Capsule motels are what they sound like, little pod-like things arranged in rows and columns. They are cheap and you check-in by buying a ticket for the night. Very futuristic but cozy.
Asakusa is also home to Kappabashi Street, 800 metres of kitchenware and fake plastic food. It was awesome. I bought more ceramics (gulp) and some neat binto boxes. I could have stayed there all day, but Brian dragged me away while I was still flinging money at the merchants.
Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, was just around the corner from our pod. It was really beautiful and much bigger than its Korean counterparts.
2. Harajuku: The fashion district is famous for it's strange trends and "out-there" costumes. It was really amazing to see all the girls dressed up in goth gear (including blood and trailing bandages) standing next to other girls saturated in pink lace, ribbons and parasols.
3. Shibuya: Home to the world's busiest intersection, where every three minutes the lights turn green and the crosswalks are flooded by pedestrians. Also home to the Lost in Translation Starbucks, where you can watch the madness from the second floor. We also hit the world's biggest Tower Records where I managed to scoop up some English magazines. A small but missed luxury in my life.
4. Tsukiji Fish Market: Wow. This was incredible. You have to get there early, but it was well worth it. This fish market is the world's biggest (noticing a tend here?) and was more chaotic, exciting and visual than anything I've ever seen. Everywhere I turned there was a picture, and someone pushing me over so that I couldn't take it. It contained every kind of fish, eel, tortoise, crustacean and squid you can imagine. And many more that you can't.
We also visited Ginza (the haute couture capital), Shinjuku, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and Tokyo Tower (a copy of the Eiffel Tower). The people were unbelievably friendly, the subway was incredible, and not once did I feel swarmed or overcrowded. It also wasn't nearly as expensive as I had been told. Most of the prices were comparable to Canadian or American prices, which is a shock after living in Korea, but they weren't prohibitive.
I want to move to Tokyo and I would highly recommend that if you get the chance, you should visit. It's like the cool comic-strip cities of the future only it's cleaner. And it's real.
So, lets get to the good stuff. Tokyo is by far, the coolest place I have ever been. As the world's largest city (34 million people - can you believe that!? That's 12 million more than Mexico City) I expected it to be crowded. It wasn't. It was beautiful, modern, exciting, easy to navigate and unbelievably clean. I fell head over heels in love with the city. The food was delicious and we saw so many cool things. Here are some of them:
1. Asakusa: The area where we stayed, first in a guesthouse and later in a capsule motel. Capsule motels are what they sound like, little pod-like things arranged in rows and columns. They are cheap and you check-in by buying a ticket for the night. Very futuristic but cozy.
Asakusa is also home to Kappabashi Street, 800 metres of kitchenware and fake plastic food. It was awesome. I bought more ceramics (gulp) and some neat binto boxes. I could have stayed there all day, but Brian dragged me away while I was still flinging money at the merchants.
Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, was just around the corner from our pod. It was really beautiful and much bigger than its Korean counterparts.
2. Harajuku: The fashion district is famous for it's strange trends and "out-there" costumes. It was really amazing to see all the girls dressed up in goth gear (including blood and trailing bandages) standing next to other girls saturated in pink lace, ribbons and parasols.
3. Shibuya: Home to the world's busiest intersection, where every three minutes the lights turn green and the crosswalks are flooded by pedestrians. Also home to the Lost in Translation Starbucks, where you can watch the madness from the second floor. We also hit the world's biggest Tower Records where I managed to scoop up some English magazines. A small but missed luxury in my life.
4. Tsukiji Fish Market: Wow. This was incredible. You have to get there early, but it was well worth it. This fish market is the world's biggest (noticing a tend here?) and was more chaotic, exciting and visual than anything I've ever seen. Everywhere I turned there was a picture, and someone pushing me over so that I couldn't take it. It contained every kind of fish, eel, tortoise, crustacean and squid you can imagine. And many more that you can't.
We also visited Ginza (the haute couture capital), Shinjuku, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and Tokyo Tower (a copy of the Eiffel Tower). The people were unbelievably friendly, the subway was incredible, and not once did I feel swarmed or overcrowded. It also wasn't nearly as expensive as I had been told. Most of the prices were comparable to Canadian or American prices, which is a shock after living in Korea, but they weren't prohibitive.
I want to move to Tokyo and I would highly recommend that if you get the chance, you should visit. It's like the cool comic-strip cities of the future only it's cleaner. And it's real.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Featured
Today I was a blog of the day! How cool is that? I've always had a hard time writing for other people, and so I decided to turn to the anonymous beauty of blogging. (Okay, so it's not always anonymous.) I've always written and I've always hated being read. It stems from a couple of (apparently deeply-rooted) childhood memories:
1. In the fifth grade I sold poems for money. It made me feel like a whore...a ten-year-old nerdy whore, but a whore nonetheless.
2. A few years later I decided to bare my soul and allow myself to be vulnerable. I read my newest short story to my mother while she was brushing her hair. It was about horses. She said she didn't "get it".
3. A sneaky high school teacher entered one of my poems into a competition without my consent. I won the contest and was forced to attend a writers workshop with some famous author. He proceeded to analyze my writing to the point where I didn't even recognize it anymore. Pacifist tendencies...futility of war...feminist leanings. WTF?
Anyway, my husband (okay, I'll admit it - that feels weird) loves what I write, when I'm bold enough to share, and he always talks about the day when I will publish. I used to silently swear that would never happen and that the first order of business to be carried out upon my death would be the cremation of every word I'd ever set to paper or screen. I have recently begun to soften. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
People, who I don't know, read my blog. And they liked it. I don't feel like my soul has been left to rot in the open air and I haven't been ridiculed. It just felt nice...like somewhere out there, somebody gets it. And that, after all, is what it's all about.
1. In the fifth grade I sold poems for money. It made me feel like a whore...a ten-year-old nerdy whore, but a whore nonetheless.
2. A few years later I decided to bare my soul and allow myself to be vulnerable. I read my newest short story to my mother while she was brushing her hair. It was about horses. She said she didn't "get it".
3. A sneaky high school teacher entered one of my poems into a competition without my consent. I won the contest and was forced to attend a writers workshop with some famous author. He proceeded to analyze my writing to the point where I didn't even recognize it anymore. Pacifist tendencies...futility of war...feminist leanings. WTF?
Anyway, my husband (okay, I'll admit it - that feels weird) loves what I write, when I'm bold enough to share, and he always talks about the day when I will publish. I used to silently swear that would never happen and that the first order of business to be carried out upon my death would be the cremation of every word I'd ever set to paper or screen. I have recently begun to soften. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
People, who I don't know, read my blog. And they liked it. I don't feel like my soul has been left to rot in the open air and I haven't been ridiculed. It just felt nice...like somewhere out there, somebody gets it. And that, after all, is what it's all about.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Paradise...and Back
Hawaii was better than I thought it would be. I knew it would be beautiful, hot and full of native English speakers (a real bonus at this point in our lives) but I also thought it would be a bit too touristy for my taste. It wasn't. It was more beautiful than I had imagined and less busy and congested. There were plenty of empty beaches to walk along and not too much traffic. I fell in love.
We stayed at a great little place on the Windward side of the island. The cottages were right on a private beach...every morning I would walk along the beach, the aqua water on one side, palm trees on the other. Some mornings, I wouldn't see a single other person. It was like I was on my own private island...just me and my family. We decided to get married right where we were staying...on the beach, under a palm tree. Does it get any better than that?
There were a million things I wanted to do on the island, and sadly, I only managed to fit in a couple of them. I guess that means I will have to go back! I did manage to do a couple of cool things though:
1. I shopped my ass off at a really great mall. Didn't have a lot of money, but was loving brand names I could recognize. The food court was the best part of all...Brian and both walked right past the Korean BBQ joint. No way, no how.
2. I went swimming with turtles! We went to Turtle Beach and got really close to them. Later in the week, I went snorkeling and swam right into one. Coulda kissed it.
3. I ate fantastic food, on the beach.
4. I read to my hearts content.
5. I spent a lot of time with my family. It's never enough but I enjoyed every minute of it.
6. We went and watched a pro-surf competition and the world famous Banzai pipeline. That was impressive.
7. I swam in the ocean and did some boogie-boarding!
8. Did I mention the food?
9. We went to the International Marketplace in Waikiki...very cool.
10. I watched a sunset at Sunset Beach and swam in Waiamea Bay.
11. Ohhh...and I got married. :-)
We stayed at a great little place on the Windward side of the island. The cottages were right on a private beach...every morning I would walk along the beach, the aqua water on one side, palm trees on the other. Some mornings, I wouldn't see a single other person. It was like I was on my own private island...just me and my family. We decided to get married right where we were staying...on the beach, under a palm tree. Does it get any better than that?
There were a million things I wanted to do on the island, and sadly, I only managed to fit in a couple of them. I guess that means I will have to go back! I did manage to do a couple of cool things though:
1. I shopped my ass off at a really great mall. Didn't have a lot of money, but was loving brand names I could recognize. The food court was the best part of all...Brian and both walked right past the Korean BBQ joint. No way, no how.
2. I went swimming with turtles! We went to Turtle Beach and got really close to them. Later in the week, I went snorkeling and swam right into one. Coulda kissed it.
3. I ate fantastic food, on the beach.
4. I read to my hearts content.
5. I spent a lot of time with my family. It's never enough but I enjoyed every minute of it.
6. We went and watched a pro-surf competition and the world famous Banzai pipeline. That was impressive.
7. I swam in the ocean and did some boogie-boarding!
8. Did I mention the food?
9. We went to the International Marketplace in Waikiki...very cool.
10. I watched a sunset at Sunset Beach and swam in Waiamea Bay.
11. Ohhh...and I got married. :-)
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