so long... and thanks for all the fish!

Have you ever been so smitten by a TV show host that your toes curl? Well, that's the emotional position I found myself in last night when I finally was able to watch the end of ...."The Daily". Tears hung in the air.... and on my cheeks, and the cheeks of all the viewers and the live audience. Tears hung in the corner of the eyes of the camera crew, the behind the scenes crew, the correspondents. And tears of course, from Jon himself... brought on at first by an unscripted, gut retching "thanks" to Jon that only Stephen Colbert could pull off.

Many more tears to follow. A wonderful video showing the backstage crew in all their humourous wonder. Pan to camera 3... on to Jon's final monologue. "Bullshit is everywhere.... and vigilance is our best defence against bullshit. So if you smell something, say something". Jon's anti-bullshit vaccine should serve us well for many years to come.

So.... Bullshit, smell is, call it. Thanks Jon. (sniff)

tri-coloured foam

How do you know what exactly the tricoloured foam in the carwash is supposed to do, and how do you know if it actually doing this? Finally washed the dirty filthy environmentally friendly car that is my second hand Prius today. It was looking sad. (there I go anthropomorphising my car again). It had been so long since I had washed my car, I actually sprung for the "full-meal deal" of car washes.... the "ULTRA". Now, don't you go asking why any self-respecting environmentally oriented individual would head to the car wash instead of WASHING THE CAR BY HERSELF, I just did. Maybe it was the sprained ankle, the shortage of time, that fact that I almost always do it...

Ok, less self-indulgent guilt and back to the point... this stuff does what..?? exactly that ordinary foam doesn't do? The only thing I can think of is that is comes with the undercarriage and side panel spray. Any other reason for it's existence would be purely speculative. Although there is some info online about it being some type of extra protective wax/polish, why does it need to be dyed like an Easter egg? My bet is that it is all smoke and mirrors. Makes the kids in the car say "wow"... you could even get them excited!!... "Watch for it kids... here it comes!!! OOOooooh!" Great, $2 extra for 15 seconds of entertainment for the kids.

So, before you come to the conclusion that this blog today is only a rant, I am hunting for the meaning behind this pathetic experience of mine today. It is important to find out what you are paying for, the bang for your buck. To me, it was just a passing whim, something that I thought might extend the life of the black paint job on my car (oh, I am soooo over black). But to someone else it could have been dinner. (not the foam, the $2 could have paid for dinner, silly). So, next time I'll try to resist the temptation to carwash, and instead, wash it myself or politely badger my son into doing it for me. And spend the money on something useful, not just colour for the foam. Hey, I  have an idea! What if everyone took that extra $2 and did something really important with it? Buy a sandwich for someone asking for a handout on the street....( no, that would be 4 car washes). But better yet, how about donating the money you were going to spend on something that is only appearance focused... like your next tube of mascara, or plastic surgical intervention? Probably 10 kids in an undeveloped nation could their cleft palates fixed. (donate to OperationSmile). Your local food bank could sure the money. The list goes on. Do. Some. Good.

unfair

How many times do you have to relearn that life is not fair, before you finally learn it? Well, for me, this is a harder concept than I thought. Here I am again, being hit upside the face with the cataclysmic realisation that good does not always triumph over evil, that bad things happen to good people and thoughtful, compassionate, research informed planning does not always prevail over career building, power mongering, ill-thought out and poorly conceived "models of care".

Ironically, I thought it was quite important that my kids learn early that life was not fair. I didn't belabour the point, but as they were fairly privileged in their early lives, I recall trying to find "teachable moments" (the parenting buzzword of the decade my kids were born). No sense in having your kids hit the world in their mid-teens thinking that life was going to be fair. Better that they have parental support to recover from their disillusionment, rather than the cruel taunting of peers.

So, what to do, what to do? Avoid life by hiding in your bedroom with PVRed reruns of Oprah, tea and a fluffy kitten? No, get out there and take risks, have adventure, love deeply, live for the moment...THEN go back to your bedroom to recoup. After all, we do need to have ways to unwind and self-soothe after facing the vicissitudes of the world. Rest. Breathe. Cuz... shit. just. happens.












Shit. Just. Happens.

Newtown, Connecticut

How can someone walk into a store and buy an assault weapon or a handgun in the United States? The NRA says "Now is not the time to talk about gun control, now is the time to mourn for the victims". I may be flawd, but I say this is the BEST time to honour the dead... by talking about gun control.

Gun advocates are now saying "Let's arm the schools! Better protect our children!". I may be flawd, but I say guns are NEVER the answer. Some are saying "Where's the money for the mentally ill?? I may be flawd, but mental illness can appear in unlikely people in an unpredictable way. BUT WHAT IF YOU COULDN'T BUY A GUN...

Some will say it's not my country, I have no right. But it's my world too, OUR world. Imagine all the people...

end of the world

How do you write about the last month of the Mayan calendar with a one word title? Yeah... I couldn't think of anything. Besides, as far as the Mayans were concerned, this is a big month! More than one word in the title? Befitting! Now, I don't actually believe that 3:11 a.m. Vancouver time on December 21, 2012 is going to be the end of the world. I've seen the movie, and predict this won't be the case. But suppose you are just a teeny bit superstitious? Will this little bit of fear motivate you to change your behaviour in any way? I'm experimenting with trying to change mine. Life is too short to not be happy and helpful to others way more of the time. Life is too short...



So... for the next month, I will be trying to do something intentional to make me or someone else happier as often as I can. I started on November 21st. Work, 9:00 a.m. meeting, something about The Second Era of Limbo (see October 3, 2012, tale). In a year's time, this meeting will likely be irrelevant and an extra long hot-tub with my beau seemed like a better idea. Much happier!! Always wanted to take voice lessons, do a restorative yoga class... signed up and signed up! Stay clear of the haters (or make them the recipient of a random act of kindness). Spend more time with people I love. Move more, sleep more, stress less.

Spent the evening playing Scrabble with my son tonight. While we watched SNL and listened to songs from the H.M.S Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance. He's winning so far. Sent flowers to my mom on her birthday today. Happy, happy, happy.

Tomorrow, who knows? Sleeping, eating a good healthy breakfast, some work I need to catch up on at the office (only for a short time), some gym time on the elliptical, the Grey Cup game and a salmon cooking lesson. Trying to find happiness doing laundry, happiness doing anything. Maybe I'll get some early secret Santa presents for the secretaries at work. Another big thing that's happening is all the planning for our "We survived the End of the World Party" on December 21st! What a better way to spend the end of the Mayan calendar than with great friends and family.Or the beginning of the world without the Mayan Calendar. One door closes, another door opens. You just have to be close enough to have a chance of making that door. Keep your eyes open. You never know when one random act of kindness may change the course of the universe. Or change one person's life. Or yours. Seize this day!

dogs

How do you handle having barking dogs as neighbours? Not easily as far as I'm concerned. The dogs bark when I chop broccoli. They bark when I turn on the shower. When the dishes get done, when the recycling needs to go out, and when I ride home on my bike from work. When I put on the kitchen fan. Bark, bark, bark. Our neighbour is a cop, and he doesn't really seem to care all that much if the dogs disturb us. In fact, I think he wants these family pets to be kinda guard dogs. Even though they are yellow labs.

They get let out at 600 am in the morning on the weekends, and the dogs bark at squirrels, raccoons, crows... and when I flush the toilet. Then eventually they get let back in. But only after our mornings to sleep in and catch up on sleep from the work week are long gone.  I've taken to feeding them chicken bacon, you know, when they are quiet. Training dogs that aren't mine. Because they bark when we watch TV, when we have guests over for a BBQ, and when we turn on the lights at night. When I sneeze.

I even got aggressive this summer. Had just had enough. Shouted back at the dogs and the neighbours, (after a glass of wine or three.)... as if that would help. All I did was embarrass myself in front of dinner guests. Bark, bark, bark. There really is no moral to this story. I could end by saying I have found compassion for the dogs and our neighbours... but that would be a lie. That I have developed patience and tolerance. That I have risen above the din. Alas... that would not be the case. So... who knows. Maybe they'll move. Maybe our neighbour will get tired of the barking too. Maybe my chicken bacon training will work. Bark. Bark. Bark.

tale

How do you write a story about a grave injustice happening to a patient group who cannot protect themselves, when you have been forbidden to talk. You write a fairy tale....

Once upon a time, there were people helping people. People with passion helping people in need. These passionate people travelled far and wide to find new potions, new spells and become the best helpers they could be. They even discovered their own spells and incantations and more of the people in need felt better about themselves and began to thrive. The Gods smiled down on them and gave them riches to continue their good work as they were pleased. The passionate people thrived as well, and this inspired even greater work.

But then, after a great mayor had died, a New Mayor came from a foreign land and had the favour of a New Evil Lord. The Gods were blinded and dazzled by the New Mayor. The New Mayor cast a powerful spell of old, dark magic and the Gods could only see the work of the New Mayor as pleasing and good. The New Mayor's sinister ways were hidden from the Gods. Dark times fell on the passionate people. They were told to stop inventing new potions and not to challenge the authority of the New Mayor and the New Evil Lord. Their pleas were met with shunning and banishment. The New Mayor conjured another dark spell and the passionate people had their voices taken from them. They fell silent and the long Era of Despair was upon them.

Eventually, New Mayor tired of this land and found a way to be elected to the High Court of the Realm. The Next Mayor was chosen from among the passionate people and the spell of the taken voices was broken. This led to the Era of the Lull. There was some passion to found again, and some cautious optimism permeated the land. But alas, this was not to be. The Evil Lord, sensing the return of the good works of the passionate people, turned to the Gods and prevailed upon them to see the folly of the passionate peoples' ways. The Storms fell on the land and the Great War on Passion was upon them.   The Gods mood darkened and they too forbade the passionate people from talking about the the Great War. No more troops could be rallied. The Evil Lord dictated what spells and potions the passionate people could use and the people in need began to suffer. The Great War on Passion led to the Second Era of Limbo. The passionate people knew they must find a way out of Limbo, but how? To. Be. Continued...