Folders of life

A while back, I cleaned out the basement and cluttered up my office with papers to file to. I finally got around to filing last week-end and noticed something interesting. I created 4 big folders: Correspondence (memorabilia from friends and family); Creativity (hobbies or projects other than scrapbooking); Work (resume, leads, etc) and Travel. The funny thing is the relative weight of each. Creativity is by far my lightest item (though that fact is skewed as most of the rest of my desk is taken up with scrapbooking-related paraphernalia) with work being the heaviest and fullest of the 4. Now that tells me that my work balance might be a bit off. I was happy to see that my relationships folder was quite healthy and bulgy (though I need to improve on the travel one). In a way, it is a nice summary of how my life has been divided. It was a nice bonus from the de-cluttering process: I got a bit of clarity and reflection on my life.

Art (part 2)

Putting a positive spin on things seems to run in the family. I was browsing my brother's site on flickr when I came across this picture:


Anybody who has ever been bullied cringes when they see sneakers on a telephone line. My brother? Makes them into a work of art.

Art that speaks to me is often social commentary.

I must say I love this one.

Act of beauty

My mom told me a good story today.
She has been totally appalled and disgusted by acts of vandalism against city property, namely people breaking windows of bus shelters. She takes the bus quite often and has watched the seemingly endless cycle of those windows being broken and replaced just to be broken again. She has stood helplessly on the sidelines, fuming. For those of you who know my mom, you know something's gotta give.
Since she retired, my mom has been doing watercolours with a passion. She has always looked around for inspiration and the other day, she saw it in a window that had been shattered but not broken. The shattering was in the shape of a star, which she dutifully copied in her notebook. Then she saw another shattered window, with a "better-looking" star, which she also copied down. She was inspired to write a poem (which I asked her to send me) and was moved the next day to post it beside the star... thereby transforming it in an act of beauty. She was amazed at her own boldness!

I dreamt I was a butterfly

I just woke up from an unsettling dream in which I was taking a language class. It seems I was at the intermediate level. I usually stopped by the beginner's class at 5:00 after work to say hi to my best friend M. who took that class, then moved on to my own. On the day of the dream, I couldn't remember what time I was due in class. At 5:00, I was eating chips (another unusual event) when the phone rang from a language provider from work, asking how they were doing. They implied that I now had to answer this very loaded question because of some reason I couldn't understand. They wanted to know because they were bidding for a new projects and wanted to get some assurance they would get chosen. I answered noncommittally, but in a very assured voice and they were satisfied and hung up. My body told me I was supposed to be elsewhere; I was also given to understand that M. had called her father to know if I had called him to say I couldn't show up. As I was walking to catch the bus, I had to go up a hill and I couldn't figure out where the bus was supposed to come from. One went past (not mine), so I headed that way. Some people were waiting, milling around. I was trying to make sense of the routes. There was a disturbance (a fight, maybe? pushing? shoving? - no yelling). I can't remember now but I think I woke up before getting to class. I woke up and thought Alzheimer - which is what makes this confused dream interesting.

To my mind, these could be clues in how Alzheimer progresses: what is most interesting to me is the lack of affect. Dreams where you are late for class are common and they usually signal anxiety - the kind you feel as a child and which you use as a symbol from then on. In this dream, though I felt the class interested me (and the dream specifies it was a language class, which is a sure sign I wouldn't miss it) I wasn't rattled by the fact that I might be late or miss it entirely. There is also the lack of affect in regards to work and the fact that someone was blatantly trying to take advantage of this perceived flaw. I could tell my thoughts were muddled but did not want it to show. Also, my body let me know I usually should be doing a certain thing (on Tuesdays, you get ready for class) and I felt restless. My response was to eat chips - totally inappropriate and out of character. I wonder if there is a lack of sodium in sufferers of Alzheimer?

I remember the last years of my grandma - she was confused and afraid and then slowly dispassionate though anxious. I wonder if by studying dreams you could see the progression in Alzheimer's patients.

Culture Shock

I started my new job last Tuesday and, well, I was in for a surprise. I spent all my working life either working in high tech for big corporations or freelancing. And now for something completely different...

Differences:
- I bring a book to work and actually have time to read while I wait for my ride (instead of working).
- I work in a noisy open environment (as opposed to a quiet open environment)
- the complexity of the work is 2/10 rather than 9/10
- everybody is bilingual French/English or English/French as opposed to Russian/French or Chinese/English
- I had one meeting last week. One.
- I don't have email yet, and it doesn't hurt my productivity (heck! it might even enhance it)
- ditto for the Internet

Ok, so I am just starting. But still, this is SOOOO promising! ; -)

Give me an R...

Here’s a fun game I got from XY x2:

Comment on this post and I’ll give you a letter. List ten things you LOVE which begin with that letter, then post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.

She gave me the letter R. Here’s my list:

Red - Vibrant, alive and cheerful.

Reading - I spend most of my free time immersed in books. I have been doing that since childhood. I still haven't come up with a definitive list of the books to bring on a desert island (that will be for another post).

Roger - that's my dad. He used to sing to us: "J'aime papa, j'aime maman, j'aime mon p'tit chien, mon p'tit chat, mon p'tit frère/J'aime papa, j'aime maman, j'aime mon p'tit chien et mon cerf-volant." That should get anybody's priorities straight.

Red Sails - lyrics from Bowie. On his Lodger LP. Anything by Bowie, really. He was my favorite singer all my teenage years (I can't say I listen much to him these days).

Le rhinocéros- a marvelously absurd play from Eugène Ionesco. I first saw it in the 1980s with my then-boyfriend who absolutely didn't get it. I should have known right then and there that our relationship was doomed...

Rabbits! - I just love them! It seems I am a rabbit (or hare) in Asian horoscopes. That's fine by me. Maybe it's my totem too?

Running - not in an organized way, mind you. I just love starting to run for no reason, for the sheer pleasure of feeling my muscles respond to my whim, for the fun of speed and the joy of freedom.

Rain - I like thunderstorms ("St. Peter playing bowling" my grandma would say), my mom's memory of rain (school was out if it rained hard because it would flood the dry riverbed and they couldn't cross it; rain is full of hope) and well... rain in and of itself.

Railways - We lived near railways many, many times. They are part of the fabric of myself. I once walked to another town on the railway - it clearly is the shortest route. My brothers boarded merchandise trains for the fun of it (I wasn't supposed to know as I was too young for those dangerous games).

Revolution - Ah well, I love change. Peaceful revolution is certainly the best kind with evolving attitudes and technology.

Culture Shock

A demolition derby is an excellent place to experience a shock to the system. The idea itself is preposterous: line up some cars, have them crash into one other. The referees decide who wins between the last cars left running. There are obviously rules (there are referees and they get to settle matters); the referees direct the drivers to be more aggressive, from what we could see. We got the impression that the more hits you distribute, the higher you rated.

We went to a demolition derby last week-end. The words "white trash" were never far from our lips. It's a wonder to be in a stand with hundreds of spectators, watching cars run into each other for the purpose of giving a show. Is that how the decadent Romans felt watching the gladiators fight to the death? We are taught to take care of our cars and feel bad when you are in an accident but crashing and getting run into is the whole point of this game.
I wonder if people enjoy seeing the transgression acted out? Is it some kind of release by proxy? We were left with a feeling of unease - for having enjoyed some of it? Strange hobby...

Quick and Dirty

My life has been pretty busy lately and I have been meaning to blog again and again. So here are the news, briefly:
- We bought ourselves a light touring kayak at Jenda Paddlesports, close to home. The idea was to have a light boat that one person could handle singly i.e. put on the car, drive away, put in water and back. That way, we don't have to wait for everybody to feel like going at the same time. The kayak is from Wilderness Systems; it is a Tsunami 135 (not shown here, but scroll down to see the Tsunami 140 which is pretty close). It exceeds our wildest dreams - it is stable and fast and we love. We tried it a few times on those warm days we have had recently. The feeling of freedom is just awesome.
- I have a new job. It starts Sept 22 and I can't wait. I will be working on the applications designed by the previous company I worked for so I expect to be very comfortable in that environment. Plus I will be writing instructions which is a new direction I wanted to take in my career.
- We finally got a Wii Fit! We lined up at Future Shop 30 minutes before opening hour and secured a copy. Yay! Then we ran errands and so forth and were too tired to set it up by the time we got home. Go figure...

The Wonders of Nature

We rented a kayak for the first time ever this week. We had been out canoeing a few times in the past but were interested in kayaks for their lightness and the flexibility they afforded. Those things are light and fast as well as easy to maneuver. You can do a light or strenuous workout depending on your mood. Very versatile.
So. Because we planned to come back late, the owner of the little shop which was opened that day (it was hit and miss until we thought of Merrickville) was nice enough to allow us to call him home after the store was closed so he could retrieve his kayak. We followed him home to unload it once (instead of transferring the kayak from our car to his van). On our way back from Charleston Lake, we saw an inordinate number of frogs in the beams of the car. The shop owner told us that they migrated back to the river en masse every fall to bury themselves in the mud to hibernate. We were to swerve to avoid squishing them and we should keep an eye out for raccoons and skunks who were out hunting after the frogs to avoid accidentally killing prey and predators alike. What a kind, sweet man to be worrying about the wildlife around him, caring enough to instruct us on the preservation of these frogs. Earlier on, at the provincial park, we had to pay attention to the snakes, sunning themselves on the asphalt (we didn't see any, though there were lots of rustling noises when I went hiking). Lots happening around us as the critters get ready for the cold weather. We're still thinking water sports and enjoying those nice warm days.

Sign from above

I was waiting for Paul today and looked up towards the treetops. I enjoy the interplay between the bright green leaves and the clear blue sky. The contrast makes me smile with joy. On this particular day, my eye caught a glimpse of something floating down. I positioned myself so the feather - black, tiny, feathery and fragile - would land straight in my hands held palm upwards. I felt its caress as it landed softly. Where did it come from? I can only surmise an angel dropped it as she was flying over our property.

Random Acts of Beauty

We met a man who sows beautiful wildflowers seeds into wastelands.

Black & White

A friend of mine just came back from her first-ever trip to Poland in which she visited Auschwitz. I was stunned and intimidated when she mentioned that but she skimmed over her visit to the concentration camp saying it had been a difficult day and I did not dare press her. Last night, as I went to bed, I was remembering our conversation and wondering about my reluctance, as this is of interest to me.
I tried to imagine myself visiting a concentration camp. All I could see in my mind's eye were black and white pictures. I have seen, in College, actual footage of the liberation of concentration camps by the Allied forces. Those pictures were in black and white as color film had not yet been invented. I got the feeling that the books I had read never mentioned color. When you are busy surviving, color is not your main focus. I don't know if I was ever in the presence of a survivor but I certainly never broached the subject. I remember reading a book from Bruno Bettelheim, a psychoanalyst and survivor, in my teenage years (The Informed Heart).
I wonder if you feel the pain, sadness and dread. The fear must permeate this compound. I wonder if it feels ordinary and if you have trouble believing in the existence of such evil. I wonder if I would want to go... Would I feel like a voyeur? How could I explain my motivation/fascination? Why would I want to go to a place that I fully expect would make me feel so rotten? Maybe it is the hope that I would feel horrible that would draw me there. The expectation of powerfully feeling the pain of so many people. Or the necessity of not letting the past die.

For those of you who enjoy graphic novels, I strongly recommend Spiegelman's Maus on the subject.

Dreams

Awake dreams. Dreams of the soul. The kind you don't share, except with your closest friends lest they be crushed by indifference or scorn.
I am seeing friends getting hurt because they trusted others with their dreams and those trustees did not realize the precious treasure they were entrusted with and reacted as though this idea, this hope, this seed was nothing but an insignificant *thing* whose substance bore no sustenance, whose seed held no promise. They thrusted it aside like it did not matter. They did not see its shiny nascent wings, its moist gleaming eyes. It's just a fly, buzzing annoyingly they thought. How wrong. How cruel to swat it with the back of their hand. No regard for feeling. No thought for the progenitor of the dream. No compassion.
I am fortunate to have caring friends who listen to me, help me, nourish my hopes and applaud my efforts. My friends embrace my dreams and carry them in their hearts, and with them I accomplish them. My dreams are light and strong and so am I. Thanks to you and your support.

Trying to explain what I didn't like about the job I just left, I used the following analogy:
Last night, we were waiting for the steaks from the bbq and we had taken out larger than usual plates to accommodate them. I said: Yseult, can you give me the large plates please? Ha, they are not ready? Hmmm, you had promised them for 6:00 o'clock.
They will be ready in another 30 minutes? Well, the steaks are done. Can I do anything to speed things up? No - ok I will manage. We need to use the small plates (I say to noone in particular - I will be the one tracking them down).
Wait, the phone is ringing again.
- You have two large white plates and 1 large blue plate? I am afraid that won't do. We need to have contrast between the food and the plate and we want a consistent look. Thank you for trying.
- Will you have the plates ready early tomorrow? I will need them by 3:00 (we eat at 6:00 but I am adding a buffer because of this experience with my vendor). The chef is giving me grief for the smaller plates that don't do justice to his work.
This, in a nutshell, is what I did. Facilitate processes to keep the internal stakeholders happy...
And do I get extra wine for my efforts? Hardly.

Soljenitsyne

Soljenitsyne's death brings me back decades ago. My recollections are fuzzy but I remember that my father was deeply moved by his books. Seeing as his Gulag Archipelago was published in 1973, I cannot imagine I read it at the tender age of 10... I remember sleeping on the floor - or was it wanting to? - in an attempt to commiserate with the terrible fate of those who battled against all that stood in the way of freedom.

In my teenage years, I was in awe of revolutionaries. My best friend one year nicknamed herself Fidel; I was Mao. These people sounded like they were making terribly important changes (where was my thirst of freedom then?) and we were enthralled by their energy. No critical judgment - just passion and blind devotion.

It is difficult for me to remember the feelings I had then, now that their legacy is known or intuited... I cannot remember what fascinated me in those stories. I can only guess at absolutes and thirst for what was Right. An idealism that did not dwell on the shadowy sides of things, an innocence that made me believe propaganda at face value.

Atrocities and resilience, good and evil, right and wrong held me captive. Human nature is capable of all that? Can embrace all that?

I majored in psychology, trying to sort out this puzzle until it lost its urgency and life took over.

Thank you Soljenitsyne for shining a light on those shadows we would as soon forget. Thank you for revealing to me the compassionate side of my father.

Between Awe and Anguish

I've been meaning to write this blog for a long time but I keep forgetting. This morning it happened again and I was spurred into action. Sometimes when you are trying to post a comment, you have to pass a security test to avoid spams. There are some "dirty" or garbled letters you have to copy into a text field. It can be a mix of numbers and letters - either way, they are ineligible to a machine.
I am torn between awe and anguish. Awe for such a simple device: the brain automatically discards the white noise. It recognizes the shapes of letters and numbers instantly, in the same way that a person with colour blindness could make out a number in Time's big books where I, as a child, was struggling. The brain of a colour-blind person singles out the extraneous colours as mine was trying to make sense of it.
Anguish because I always get this pinch, something of a sinking feeling: can I pass this test? I don't breeze through this seemingly innocuous task. My brain rebels against nonsensical words. It is forever trying to make sense of things. S N S E - you mean "sense", right? Or did you want to write "sene" - more unusual but you are unusual, aren't you. I would know, I live in your head...
So I concentrate and write out what is there: BUL7P - buzzer sound: try again. I break into a cold sweat. I don't know what I did wrong because I am given a totally different set to transcribe. Is it easier? Do they give easier sets the second time around? What if I fail this one? Will my comment ever make it in? Is my comment worth the effort? Will it add anything to the discussion? What is this need to express my opinion, over and over again? Success! My comment is in! I forget the whole thing and move on.

Wet

Weather was never much of a topic for me. I usually get annoyed with people who are "obsessed" with weather. For me, it is what it is. The weather does not have much impact on my life, perhaps because I have retreated indoors much of the time. This year is a different matter. This year we are getting vegetables from a local farmer. The vegetables are not as plentiful as we were hoping because it`s been raining. No sun, just so much rain I swear I can see our grass growing.
We got huge cucumbers, mind you. I don't know how tasty large water-logged vegetables can be though. But I still prefer to eat local than eat a produce shipped from around the world (anybody for cheap garlic from China?). It just makes more sense.

It's Raining, it's Pouring, the Old Man is Snoring...

The Old Man - that's Me. This has been a weird week. I spent most of it sleeping, recovering it seems from all those sleepless nights. And as it has been raining a lot, I haven't feel compelled to spend time outside. The Tour de France has kept company in the mornings and I have been steadily reading The Historian all week. I finished it last night to my regret. It was such a well-crafted, compelling book, I had a hard time putting it down.
We'll be cooking today, as tomorrow we're bringing meals to my mother-in-law who has been complaining lately of the food at her old-age residence.
I am wondering a bit about the people I have left behind at work: are they doing all right? but it is a distant concern and I am looking ahead to other challenges and fun times. Not much else going on. I finally got rid of my cold and the dark shadows under my eyes are receding. Looking forward to a new dawn...

Transformers

No spoiler alert here. We won't be talking about the movie but rather of those things that go boum! in the night.
With all the high winds and storms we've had in the past few days, we had a few close calls. Eventually, yesterday, after a bolt of lightening split the sky in two a mighty roll of thunder and tremendous boum that sounded close, very close, ended with the lights going out. Yesterday was Paul's birthday and we had planned for fondue which is self-sustaining. The cake was done and we have a gas stove so we proceeded as usual, replacing the electrical light with our faithful camping lamp (kids, don't do this at home!). We had a great meal and all but after 4 hours in the darkness (a record since we moved to Kemptville), we inquired what was the situation with our neighbours. Lo and behold, they all had electricity. We called Hydro and they sent some guys. It appears our neighbour's transformer blew up so they would try and restart ours (it worked). I guess that as a protective measure, ours shut down when the surge hit it. It appears we have our own personal transformer which made us feel quite special. Now for us to make it feel special, we need to clean up the trees around it to make it accessible to the maintenance crew. The area around it is overgrown and the personnel who was dispatched last night made us promise to get the trees trimmed (the line from the road to our post has to be cleared).
Friday nights are always exciting in my household.

Time to Go

I have handed in my resignation (figuratively). I told my boss I was leaving and we are ironing out details as to an end date.
This was an easy decision after a few short anguished nights and an epiphany of sorts. After I had taken my decision - made harder by the fact I had made some true friends back at work - I realized it was summer, there was a garden that needed tending, cyclists were enjoying themselves on the road. I had been so stressed and closed upon myself that I hadn't really appreciated that summer was here (I still haven`t but at least I am aware that I haven`t and that is a step forward, no?).
Making this decision was a positive response to all the stress I have been heaping upon myself. It is very empowering to walk away from a difficult situation and decide to do what feels right. Time and again I doubt my decision but wise words from friends help me through. Or I relapse and that relapse tells me I am still fragile and vulnerable and that my decision still holds.
I need a bit of breathing time and I need to take a good look at where I want to go and who I want to be. If it sounds like a mid-life crisis well maybe it is...

Thinking on Thoughts

I haven`t been my usual cheery self lately. I have gotten back into old habits of hiding under the covers when stressed. And stressed I am: I have the insomnia and the clenched jaw to prove it. Of course the hardship is in my mind. The reality hasn't changed, just my perception of it. Which brings me to today`s topic: thoughts.

When I direct my thoughts appropriately to the present and the comfort of my home, the health I am favored with, the full tummy or proximity to food, I start relaxing. The thing is: my basic needs are met. Anything above that is gravy. When I start to appreciate those things around me - yes, even the chirping of birds that drives me nuts when my mood is off can be pleasant - I start to feel happy and relaxed. When I start projecting a few days ahead to deadlines and so on, I collapse into paralysis. And so managing stress becomes a priority. And that starts with directing my thoughts so they stay focused on the here and now and on the things that can be changed instead of possible doom scenarios.

Well, I am feeling tired, which is a good thing. I will catch a few winks while I am relaxed and I will wake up refreshed and eager to start the day. After all, it is Friday...

Tout va très bien. Madame la Marquise

My mom used to sing us a song that I enjoyed very much. "Tout va très bien, Madame la Marquise" is the story of a rich woman who comes home to be told by her valet that apart from the fact that her favorite horse is dead, everything is well. Madame la Marquise is shocked: "What? Dead? How could that be? My favorite horse!" Well, says the valet, it happened in the fire. "What? What fire?" And progressively, the poor woman learns that her stables burned down because her castle was in flame when her husband committed suicide after learning of their ruin. He fell and knocked over a chandelier. Of course, there is much hilarious back and forth, and my mom would act out both the valet and the high-born lady with equal passion. She was a sight to behold.
All that to say that we bought a new car. A new car? Yes, because of the crash. The crash? The one that sent us to the hospital. The hospital? Well, you see where this is going I guess... Last Saturday, we were waiting at a red light when a six-wheeler rear-ended the Volvo. The Volvo did what good Volvos do and absorbed most of the shock. The rear passenger is feeling some residual pain that will require physio, but both Yseult, who was at the wheel at the time, and myself, in the front passenger seat, feel no long-term effect and we both went back to work on Monday. The Volvo "died" while saving us and we mourn her loss. After much legwork from Paul, who was brilliant throughout the whole ordeal, we got a good settlement from the insurance company. He secured a used V70 (same model, later year) from the dealer and we drove it home yesterday. Within a week of the accident, we are back driving a new and improved Volvo. A much better ending than in the song.
To our great surprise and with some guilt, we are enjoying the new car even more than the old one. It is plainer for sure, but the driving is more pleasant and it has a few cool additional features (such as a display indicating to-the-minute fuel consumption). So all is well - no buts to it!

Blindness

I finished reading Blindness by Nobel-prize winner Portuguese author Jose Saramago. It is a haunting book. In a rather low-key way and without moralizing, it shows human weaknesses. None of the characters have names, only descriptive characteristics. What I found puzzling was that we see what happens through the eyes of somebody who has not lost her sight.
In any case, it is a tough read - ugly things happen - but the style is something I had never read before with run-on sentences that read like real conversations. Here is a sample:
"One of them declared, I'm not budging from here, what they want to do is to catch us and then kill us all, I'm not moving either, said another, Nor me, chipped in a third."
I was surprised I had never heard of the author. I think it says more about me than about the author, though: I am always surprised when I learn something new! (I probably shouldn't have shared that...)

No Water

Zeroscaping is the fancy word for sensible responsible landscaping. You use native plants that require very little watering. I have done a little research on Amazon and most books are written on the US West Coast for arid climates. The local books are all sold out but I am told some local landscapers can be used as consultants if you want to convert your garden to a greener shade... My friend M. met a couple who are zeroscapers by going to a green exhibition. She was hoping to have them over to redo her landscaping for easier maintenance. Maybe next year...

Stranded

We've been sans wireless for the past two days. We get windows of opportunitues: 10 minutes here, a few seconds there. I don't know if it's because it is unavailable but I find myself longing for a connection, any connection. I accessed my emails from work but haven`t browsed the web at all. I miss my daily fix.

This brings to mind my friend M. who raves about leading a simpler life.

I read about a woman who, in her bid to go green, changes one habit a day for a year. She found giving up little things the hardest: kleenexes, for example were sorely missed during a bad cold. But she felt a lot lighter when she sold her car and embraced her bike. With the larger, more expensive items gone, a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders. Her goal is to keep up the good habits she picks up every day for the whole year she vowed to do this.

I realize I equate simpler life with living more ecologically. I am at a loss to think how I could possibly come up with a new idea every day to live more simply. I suppose when you put your mind to it, your whole attitude changes and you start seeing things you would normally overlook. And so I have to believe that if I set my mind to it, I could achieve this goal.

If anybody finds the blog of the "green" woman, please send me the link. Hopefully, I will resume surfing soon. Our provider has promised to send help tomorrow around noon. Help is on the way!

A New Way to Party

I was introduced to the issue of kids' birthday parties by a friend who enlightened me on the oneupmanship going on between parents to make their kids' parties memorable. I subsequently read horror stories where parents went overboard with very expensive entertainment for a bunch of kids (we're talking thousands of dollars). On the other side of the story are parents who are reacting to that state of affairs.
ECHOage is such an initiative. The child whose birthday it is goes to the site (presumably with a parent), chooses a charity (Canadian or American) and sends an e-invite to his/her friends. In turn, they send money that would have been spent on a card, wrapping paper and a present to ECHOage. ECHOage divides the money between the charity and the child. The child gets to buy ONE present. The idea is that the number of presents each child was getting was ridiculous and that they did not appreciate it. With ECHOage, the child gets to choose one symbolic gift that represents that year thus eliminating waste. It also shows the child a concrete way to share with others less fortunate.
I love the idea but I am also sad that it has come to that. There is a sense of loss because of the way in which we give. For kids, somebody else buys the gift and they perhaps don't participate much in that aspect. Perhaps people will bring handmade gifts to keep with the spirit of giving alive? In any case, it's nice to see alternatives cropping up.

The 100-mile Diet

Ha! I got this fabulous book from a friend.

The 100-mile diet is a book about a couple who decides to eat, for a year, food that was grown within a 100-mile radius of their home. It is a book about food but also about the economy, evolution, ecology. The authors, both journalists, alternate the writing of chapters. The divisions follow the months, which makes sense as food is seasonal. You can go back to a chapter, fairly confident of what you will find. Each chapter starts with a recipe and a quote.

I "ate" the book. From the start, I was hooked. My expectations were low. I thought the book was capitalizing on a fad. Actually, the reverse is true. The authors were discussing the ecological footprint and then decided they would try and reduce their own by eating food grown in a 100-mile radius from where they live. They set down ground rules and went about their business eventually posting an article on the Web. People started following their efforts and the idea snowballed with others following in their stead.

Required reading if you care about your planet.

Advances in Telecommunications

A woodpecker has decided to attack our steel Bell Mobility cell tower. His tap tap tap reverberates in the house. We can`t believe his beak will survive the attack. The noise is incredibly loud. We're thinking he will go away - there are no insects to find there. Is he brain dead? Is he the victim of an environmental disaster? What has gotten into him? We go out and chase him away.
He comes back, time after time. We are surrounded by trees, some old and full of insects. What is he thinking? And then we wonder: is he trying to attract a female? Look, I can make a lot of noise. I am a BIG provider.
Finally, he leaves. We never got a picture...

Joke

St Peter is at the Gates of Heaven waiting to decide on the fate of the dead. He bases his decision on people's answer to: What do you know about Easter?

St Peter: What do you know about Easter?
Man: Easter is a time of great celebration, when the family gathers and eats turkey. I especially enjoy seeing the leaves turning, and the pumpkins!
St Peter says Humrph! as he pulls a lever and sends the man to Hell.

St Peter: What do you know about Easter?
Second man: Ah! Easter! It is a time of great joy. The family gathers to celebrate and be together. Then they go in the woods, cut a fine tree and decorate it...
St Peter, upset, pulls a lever and sends the second man to Hell.

St Peter: What do you know about Easter?
Woman: Easter is a time of grief and joy at the same time. Grief because our Lord Saviour died for our sins on the Cross on the Friday...
St Peter is tearing up, mumbling Amens under his breath.
Woman: He was then put in a tomb, and a huge boulder was rolled to close it off. On the Sunday, he rose from the Dead.
At this point, St Peter is beaming. He has opened the gates wide and is motioning for the woman to step forward.
Woman: Jesus pushed the boulder aside. Now, if he sees his shadow...

Freebies

I love pop psychology even more than trivia. My brother sent me an article that mentions the following experiment:
Passing students are offered a choice between an expensive chocolate, a Lindt truffle, for the reduced price of 15¢, and a common chocolate, a Hershey's kiss, for 1¢. Since the Lindt truffle ordinarily costs much more than 15¢, a solid majority choose that option. But when the price of each option is reduced by the same amount, one cent—the Lindt truffle then going for 14¢ and the Hershey's kiss for free—suddenly the response changes dramatically, and most people choose the free Hershey's kiss. This is one of many experiments offered to prove that people find "something for nothing" to be irresistible, even when it might not be technically their best option.

Enlightening Experience

The candles are lit. Flashlight in hand, we make our way to the living room where we got a roaring fire going in the fireplace. We settle in to read quietly for the next hour or so, in voluntary observance of Earth hour.
It is a peculiar feeling to forego the luxury of light when no power outage forces you to do so. We went about an hour of our evening with no electricity. Because it is done voluntarily, there is no ill feeling. We know we can stop the experiment at any time. When we finally turned the lights back on, we found the electric light harsh and unpleasant and decided to wait a bit more.
Because it was only an hour and we had control over the outcome (we can switch the lights back on in case of emergency), the experience was overwhelmingly positive. It also builds awareness on the luxury of electricity. It was sobering.
We are ready to do it again in a flash. Let's hope those feelings last.

What is it You Want?

1- I want the hurt to go away. I keep forgetting my leg is mending. I am reminded as I put weight on it, or twist it, or bang it softly against furniture or lift it in a certain way.
2- Purple Rain, purple rain. I just spent part of the afternoon going through UTube videos because I didn't know who sang Do Wah Diddy (Manfred Mann, so you won't have to suffer) and went on listening to their other great songs and from there, well, the afternoon was pretty well a goner
3- a Wii? We just bought one, after I had been lusting after it since last summer. A little detective work, a lot of running around, a dash of luck, and we were all set. Of course I can only play stationary, staid, very subtle games. Anything physical where I actually need to stay on my feet is Verbotten.
4- To win the lottery? 5-17-25-33-41-42 (I hope there is no typo)
5- A new puppy? I totally understand. I can't wait to replace our two beautiful, loving, perfect German shepherds with their equivalents. I can't wait but I will.
6- One of Macs sleek and sexy flat laptops - the Macbook Air. Don't you just love their tv ad with the laptop in an envelope? They rock!
7- (trying to get to 10) Peace on Earth? Sorry the link to that one is broken.
8- A year in Paris? Working on that one. All help welcome.
9- A little less logic, a little more creativity
10- (fill in the blanks)

...the hipbone's connected to the thigh bone...

I finally went to the Emergency room because the pain in my ankle was migrating to other parts of my body as it was compensating for the fracture. Yes, fracture. I broke my fibula. I always thought a broken bone would bring excruciating pain so I am glad to have learned that I can bear the pain of a broken bone (and even function somewhat) . If you like trivia, the kind doctor who looked after me said that the part of my foot that is currently numb should heal within 2 years. It seems that dead nerve grows at the rate of 1 mm a month.

I was shocked to hear I had broken a bone. It is my first fracture ever and I guess I suddenly felt vulnerable. I can't quite put a name on my feeling. In a sense I was proud that I bore the pain but in another it felt like I had mismanaged my body, allowing it to break.

On the cool side, I now wear something akin to a spaceboot - those winter boots that were so popular in the 70s? 80s? Anyways, they look futuristic and very techie. I will make all my colleagues jealous.

Looking Down

The best part of blogging is finding inspiring titles.
I found $20 on the ground the other day and I realized that doesn't happen to me much anymore. As a kid, it seems I was always finding money. I have a few hypotheses why this doesn't happen anymore:
a- Credit cards
b- People are more concerned with money so they keep an eye out for it
c- My vision is not as keen as before ; )

What do you think?

Bragging

Vicki left a comment in my previous post about the animals they have in Barrhaven (rabbits and skunks) so I figured I would treat you with another beautiful picture, this one of a barred owl (we only saw it once but what a treat that was). Yeah, I love living in the countryside.

Free Lunch

Somebody dropped three bales of hay on the road in front of our house. They were scattered and we didn't want the deer to start eating it on the road (they cross the road in that area) so we brought them back behind the house, and to our surprise, we had quite a few guests coming to eat at our buffet. All the snow this winter must have made it difficult for them - hopefully the free lunch will have helped. We are used to seeing their tracks but we never had a glimpse of them - certainly never when we had our two German Shephards. We took a few movies (of them running away) and a few pictures too but they are camera-shy so most of them didn't turn out as nice as this one.

They stopped coming as soon as the hay was gone and I miss them...

Love your crutches

Years ago, while living in Montreal, I sprained my ankle on an uneven sidewalk, ending my "career" in karate. Ever since, if I lose my footing, the same ankle always volunteers to get sprained. And so, yet again, I am immobilized because of a fall (always a stupid, avoidable fall). Yesterday, I did not mind missing work, but today I am already dreading the long day ahead. I am trying to make light of it and enjoy the moment. Actually, the pain has noticeably receded and I am feeling much better today than yesterday.
I am well cared for and I am starting to learn to use crutches. I also have plenty to read. I just want to recover quickly and enjoy the freedom of walking around the house. I took that for granted before Monday. The stairs were not a challenge, the carpets did not feel like vast expanses to be conquered.
Yesterday, I was rolling around the house in my office chair, noticing the hindrances underfoot. It gave me a taste of life if you are wheelchair-bound. Evidently, our household is not designed for wheelchairs... Anything left lying on the floor can hinder access to your destination. You can't jump over things or navigate easily around them.
At least this forced rest will give me time to think of things...

Health Hazard

In the paper recently, there was a fascinating article on permanent smiles in Japan. Pushing the logic to extremes, this extremely competitive nation is forcing customer-facing staff to keep a permanent smile on their faces. The problem - apart from the physical pain - is that they can't wipe the smile off their faces when they go home.

It seems that forcing yourself to smile non-stop can lead to depression. I guess your body rebels against the fact that you are not listening to it. Other theories?

Sunday smile

I read two articles in The Citizen today. The top half of the page was an article remembering the Maharashi yogi that the Beatles hung out with in 1968. He died last week at the age of 91. Peace and love (and greed).

The bottom part of the page was an article on the latest Rambo and what it says about the American public. The juxtaposition made me smile.

Kodak Moment

From a chartered bus, I looked down on a square that has a number of sculptures. They are life-sized depictions of heroic Canadians (Laura Secord, for example). They are not on pedestals - the idea being to make them approachable. You can look at them eye-to-eye.

A homeless man was standing in front of one of the bronzes, staring at his face.

I stared at the man, wondering what he was thinking.

I keep thinking back on this moment.

We're going through an acquisition at work. I get to compare with the previous situation I was in. See how this company does. They have tons of experience and a staff a thousand strong dedicated to acquisitions, so my expectations are high. Up to now, they are doing swell:
- keeping new staff informed but not overwhelmed with irrelevant info
- sending emails with practical suggestions
- centralized Q&A (pretty standard) and short info sessions
- a goodbye session later in the day of the welcome session so we can close the loop
- iterative and well-published steps to replace signage in and around the buildings

I can't wait for the corporate gifts... Oh, did I mention we're all getting new hardware? No grumbling there - everybody loves a new laptop! Coming next week already - rumour had it there was a warehouse full of goodies just waiting for the official green light.

Mucho fun in perspective!

New and Improved Grocery Shopping

We were discussing how difficult it now is to buy staples at a grocery store. There is new-found angst at buying bread and milk because of the myriad choices there are. I came up with a brilliant solution. At the entrance, there could be a "grocery consultant" to help you make your choices. He or she would ask questions about your household and values and indicate what would be appropriate for you. For example: family of four with growing children? Or aging couple? Perhaps they would ask about cholesterol levels or health issues. Perhaps they would inquire about dietary or monetary restrictions. In any case, they could either walk through the aisles with you or go over your grocery list. If you could not read the labels, they could help you with that. They could accompany you through the store and grab things on high shelves and stuff. I think it would make the customer stay in the store longer (always something the store wants) and help in whatever way to make the shopping experience nicer. Perhaps they could run an get an item while you stay in line... Hmmmm... I think that job would pay for itself...

Forget Desperate Housewives!

A colleague put up one of these motivational posters with the beautiful picture and inspirational text. Except, when I looked more closely, the picture of all those hands stretching out of business suits as an imitation of the knights cry of "All for One and One for All!" actually said: "Meetings: None of us is as dumb as all of us" in a pretty font.

I wished I had had that idea myself. Laughing, I asked him where he got it. He directed me to despair.com

Here is an excerpt of their catalog: AT DESPAIR, INC., we believe motivational products create unrealistic expectations, raising hopes only to dash them. That's why we created our soul-crushingly depressing Demotivators® designs, so you can skip the delusions that motivational products induce and head straight for the disappointments that follow!

It's in the same vein as Dilbert, and similarly tiring after a while. But still worth a chuckle.