i had a lot of fun writing that post yesterday. i had never tried to do anything like that before and to be honest i wasn't sure i could even pull it off. the bloke and i have had many a conversation about writing and we both have conflicting opinions of my abilities.
those who truly know me, will not be surprised to hear that the bloke has a higher opinion of my writing than i do. he was the reason why i even gave the fan fiction style a shot. i will admit that i was pretty proud of how it turned out. it felt to me like it fit... like it could have been between the covers of a j.d. robb novel.
now i know that there were mistakes, grammar, spelling and punctuation. so i took another shot editing it today. i hope that i fixed where i erred but i fear i might have fixed the parts that weren't broken.
there is a school of thought that fan fiction isn't really writing, since you are essentially borrowing established characters. fan fiction likely exists due to the long wait time between novels. as i understand it, most authors are aware of the fandoms and for the most part are flattered. but there are others who are not amused and have the stories taken down.
my older brother is also a fan of the series and i hope to get my tale to a point where it is a lot closer to perfect. i then want to get him to read it and see how close he thinks it is... after i get his opinion then i will cop to having written it.
guess that means i am poking my head even further out of my writing shell
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
the bloke's choice
disclaimer: i do not own any of the characters from j.d. robb's in death series. i just borrowed lt. eve dallas, det. delia peabody, capt. ryan feeney and the 'in death' universe for a little while. i promise to return the lot essentially unharmed. stevens and all original unnamed characters are mine.
lieutenant eve dallas had a tactical team assembled in an alley way in spanish harlem. she also had another team covering the front of the building and a third in position on the roof. she had stevens penned in. all his exit routes were covered, unless stevens could fly he was hers. all she needed was word from the cyber-geeks of the EDD division. confirmation that stevens was actually inside. as soon as she had that she'd give her teams the go signal.
the problem was eve dallas has never been a patient woman, especially now as she waits in the alley. she could barely breathe, the stench in that alley was over-powering and she was almost ankle deep in some kind of swill. the question is why? it was the mid-21st century, there were recyclers everywhere. why was she standing in food waste?
"dammit feeney", eve whispers over her comm-link, "is the rabbit in the hole or not?" seconds later a frustrated captain ryan feeney replies, "dallas give us minute, we are peeling through all his privacy screens as quickly as we can. you want it quick or do you to risk setting off an alarm? i'll let you know as soon as we've got something!" knowing that she couldn't afford to push the tech squad any more that she had, she fell silent and glowered.
she was just about to stride over to her partner, detective delia peabody, when a door to her left burst open. "what the..?" was all eve got out. bent in the door way was a cook or a kitchen worker and he reached down without looking out into the alley. he scooped up the bucket that was at his feet and let the contents fly. a second later the door once slammed shut.
to her shock and horror eve dallas was covered from head to foot in the same type of food waste that she had been standing in for the past 15 minutes. as she reached up to scrape, soy chips and congealed gravy from her face she heard peabody choke back a laugh. a few of the cops in the alley had to good sense to become very engrossed in a weapons check. dallas' temper was legendary and no one really wanted to test her.
"okay we got a solid image dallas", came feeney's voice through her comm-link, "we are only showing one mixed-race female in an upstairs room. we've got her heart rate and respiratory data. so i'm afraid we've got no legal reason to crack that door".
dammit where was stevens? this was definitely his type of hidey-hole. either way with the EDD confirm there was nothing dallas could do. it was time to get her teams to stand down and return to cop central. she took a few steps forward and that same door burst open again. with one quick glance dallas saw the restaurant worker crouching over another bucket of filth. well she may not get stevens but dallas was going to nail somebody today.
she kicked out hard and fast at the door. which slammed inwards even faster than it had popped open. there was the sickening thud of heavy steel door meeting cranium. the door slowly swung back open and the unfortunate kitchen aid was out cold. his head dipped dangerously low in the bucket of waste. "peabody!!!" dallas shouts, "get dispatch to send a couple of beat droids out here to pick up this piece of crap. they can charge him with assaulting an officer".
peabody already had her link out and was almost engaged with cop central. she raised an eyebrow at her superior officer. "assault dallas? really?" eve took one menacing step towards peabody, "right... assault... i'm on it lieutenant".
last week for fun i offered the bloke the opportunity to provide the subject for the blog. it was an interesting twist to our challenge so i asked him for another. the theme was people who litter and ways to stop them. as an avid reader of j.d robb's in death series i was well aware of the fan fiction that surrounds the series. i was curious to see if i could actually write a piece of fan fiction so i married the two.
lieutenant eve dallas had a tactical team assembled in an alley way in spanish harlem. she also had another team covering the front of the building and a third in position on the roof. she had stevens penned in. all his exit routes were covered, unless stevens could fly he was hers. all she needed was word from the cyber-geeks of the EDD division. confirmation that stevens was actually inside. as soon as she had that she'd give her teams the go signal.
the problem was eve dallas has never been a patient woman, especially now as she waits in the alley. she could barely breathe, the stench in that alley was over-powering and she was almost ankle deep in some kind of swill. the question is why? it was the mid-21st century, there were recyclers everywhere. why was she standing in food waste?
"dammit feeney", eve whispers over her comm-link, "is the rabbit in the hole or not?" seconds later a frustrated captain ryan feeney replies, "dallas give us minute, we are peeling through all his privacy screens as quickly as we can. you want it quick or do you to risk setting off an alarm? i'll let you know as soon as we've got something!" knowing that she couldn't afford to push the tech squad any more that she had, she fell silent and glowered.
she was just about to stride over to her partner, detective delia peabody, when a door to her left burst open. "what the..?" was all eve got out. bent in the door way was a cook or a kitchen worker and he reached down without looking out into the alley. he scooped up the bucket that was at his feet and let the contents fly. a second later the door once slammed shut.
to her shock and horror eve dallas was covered from head to foot in the same type of food waste that she had been standing in for the past 15 minutes. as she reached up to scrape, soy chips and congealed gravy from her face she heard peabody choke back a laugh. a few of the cops in the alley had to good sense to become very engrossed in a weapons check. dallas' temper was legendary and no one really wanted to test her.
"okay we got a solid image dallas", came feeney's voice through her comm-link, "we are only showing one mixed-race female in an upstairs room. we've got her heart rate and respiratory data. so i'm afraid we've got no legal reason to crack that door".
dammit where was stevens? this was definitely his type of hidey-hole. either way with the EDD confirm there was nothing dallas could do. it was time to get her teams to stand down and return to cop central. she took a few steps forward and that same door burst open again. with one quick glance dallas saw the restaurant worker crouching over another bucket of filth. well she may not get stevens but dallas was going to nail somebody today.
she kicked out hard and fast at the door. which slammed inwards even faster than it had popped open. there was the sickening thud of heavy steel door meeting cranium. the door slowly swung back open and the unfortunate kitchen aid was out cold. his head dipped dangerously low in the bucket of waste. "peabody!!!" dallas shouts, "get dispatch to send a couple of beat droids out here to pick up this piece of crap. they can charge him with assaulting an officer".
peabody already had her link out and was almost engaged with cop central. she raised an eyebrow at her superior officer. "assault dallas? really?" eve took one menacing step towards peabody, "right... assault... i'm on it lieutenant".
last week for fun i offered the bloke the opportunity to provide the subject for the blog. it was an interesting twist to our challenge so i asked him for another. the theme was people who litter and ways to stop them. as an avid reader of j.d robb's in death series i was well aware of the fan fiction that surrounds the series. i was curious to see if i could actually write a piece of fan fiction so i married the two.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
thar' she blows....
i was on my way out of the ladies room when one of my work mates passed me. it was the purposeful walk or the shirt collar that was pulled up over her chin. but something felt off.
seconds later she was motoring the other way. debbie, the production manager, said that what was happening was not a good sign. the woman in question, uttered a muffled sound of agreement and dove into the ladies room. debbie said, "it is never a good sign when a pregnant woman races for the bathroom".
she seemed to be in the bathroom for a long time and when she finally emerged someone offered to give her chocolate. i get most of my pregnancy knowledge from television but i always thought it was dry crackers to settle a stomach? either way i believe her work day ended soon after.
i just couldn't bring myself to use that bathroom for the rest of the day. there are three stalls in that rest room and it was possible i could have picked a stall she wasn't ill in. i am one of those people who will throw up if they see someone else vomit. the mere knowledge that she was sick in another room had me all kinds of queasy. the fact that i couldn't see or hear anything did not matter.
finally, today's post is likely very disorganized and i apologize. i am distracted by a couple of things. first while blogging, i am trying to participate in a lady vol fan chat room. secondly, very early tomorrow morning i am due to get another MRI. since i wanted to adhere to the 'rules' of the challenge. it was of the utmost importance i get something posted
after my MRI is completed i will try and translate this mess into something intelligible.
edited 30/03/12 14:00 hours
seconds later she was motoring the other way. debbie, the production manager, said that what was happening was not a good sign. the woman in question, uttered a muffled sound of agreement and dove into the ladies room. debbie said, "it is never a good sign when a pregnant woman races for the bathroom".
she seemed to be in the bathroom for a long time and when she finally emerged someone offered to give her chocolate. i get most of my pregnancy knowledge from television but i always thought it was dry crackers to settle a stomach? either way i believe her work day ended soon after.
i just couldn't bring myself to use that bathroom for the rest of the day. there are three stalls in that rest room and it was possible i could have picked a stall she wasn't ill in. i am one of those people who will throw up if they see someone else vomit. the mere knowledge that she was sick in another room had me all kinds of queasy. the fact that i couldn't see or hear anything did not matter.
finally, today's post is likely very disorganized and i apologize. i am distracted by a couple of things. first while blogging, i am trying to participate in a lady vol fan chat room. secondly, very early tomorrow morning i am due to get another MRI. since i wanted to adhere to the 'rules' of the challenge. it was of the utmost importance i get something posted
after my MRI is completed i will try and translate this mess into something intelligible.
edited 30/03/12 14:00 hours
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
which way to the rack?!!
i am very tired. it was another really long work day. it started at 8 a.m. and ended after 8 p.m. additionally it is wednesday, which means it is my delt day. it is also the first day of my third 6 week cycle of the x-rep training protocol.
it was 9:15 p.m. before i got out on the gym floor. there were a couple people there that i knew but today i was not going out of my way to talk to anybody. it was closing in on 10:30 p.m. by the time i headed out the door. i only really got out of the gym as quickly as i did because i opted to skip cardio.
hopefully everything i did today passes quickly and easily through the approval process. i would hate to have another day like today. on one hand it shows a confidence in my abilities, as they have been giving me uglier pages to work on. by ugly, i don't mean aesthetically, although sometimes that too is the case. i refer specifically to the type of changes, the number of changes and the complexity of the changes. case in point, i spent 3.5 hours working on a single page today. mind you that page has a multitude of zones and exists in 3 separate language versions. yet, when you are staring at the same page for 3.5 hours it is awfully hard to feel productive.
well that was exciting. when you live with elderly parents you really can't hear strange noises and not investigate. i was just getting set to hit the publish post button when i heard a pretty loud, yet solid thud. my mother's room is next door. it seems she lost her balance and bounced her head on a shelf. she is now icing what is likely going to be one hell of a coconut.
hopefully that will be all the drama for today.
it was 9:15 p.m. before i got out on the gym floor. there were a couple people there that i knew but today i was not going out of my way to talk to anybody. it was closing in on 10:30 p.m. by the time i headed out the door. i only really got out of the gym as quickly as i did because i opted to skip cardio.
hopefully everything i did today passes quickly and easily through the approval process. i would hate to have another day like today. on one hand it shows a confidence in my abilities, as they have been giving me uglier pages to work on. by ugly, i don't mean aesthetically, although sometimes that too is the case. i refer specifically to the type of changes, the number of changes and the complexity of the changes. case in point, i spent 3.5 hours working on a single page today. mind you that page has a multitude of zones and exists in 3 separate language versions. yet, when you are staring at the same page for 3.5 hours it is awfully hard to feel productive.
well that was exciting. when you live with elderly parents you really can't hear strange noises and not investigate. i was just getting set to hit the publish post button when i heard a pretty loud, yet solid thud. my mother's room is next door. it seems she lost her balance and bounced her head on a shelf. she is now icing what is likely going to be one hell of a coconut.
hopefully that will be all the drama for today.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
where my dog's at?
at the plaza i came upon a full-size pickup. i could see a couple sitting in the cab but what caught my eye was the dog resting his head on the window sill. animals are always a great source of amusement to me, i think it is because we are limited in our ability to communicate with them, but still they so readily get their point across. i did not need to know how to speak 'dog' to know that pooch was bored out of his freakin' mind.
the way the dog was draped over the window and the way that he didn't even as much as scent the air as i passed screamed, "can't we just goooooooo". in my head that dog sounds like an exasperated pre-teen.
that dog got me thinking about tasha, the collie-terrier mix i had growing up. i have so many wonderful memories of our time together, tasha and i basically grew up together. but i thought i would share with you one of my favourite 'tasha stories'.
it was hallowe'en and i was back from trick or treating. it was still early, back then your door bell rang as late as 10:00 pm. tasha and i were hanging out in the basement and when the door bell rang she would take off running for the front door. as she charged up the stairs she would pepper the air with her little puppy barks, 'yap... yap... yap... yap'. we would answer the door together, i would dole out the candy and then we would return to the basement.
once again the door bell rang and tasha tore out of the basement and i was hot pursuit. we are on our way up the stairs and tasha is in the lead 'yap... yap... yap... RWORF!!!'. tasha hit the brakes. her paws spread outwards and she whipped her head around to look at me. the look on her face was, 'what the fawk was that?!!' i have to admit i was pretty taken aback as well and i told her, "don't look at me... that came outta you".
she never yapped again.
the way the dog was draped over the window and the way that he didn't even as much as scent the air as i passed screamed, "can't we just goooooooo". in my head that dog sounds like an exasperated pre-teen.
that dog got me thinking about tasha, the collie-terrier mix i had growing up. i have so many wonderful memories of our time together, tasha and i basically grew up together. but i thought i would share with you one of my favourite 'tasha stories'.
it was hallowe'en and i was back from trick or treating. it was still early, back then your door bell rang as late as 10:00 pm. tasha and i were hanging out in the basement and when the door bell rang she would take off running for the front door. as she charged up the stairs she would pepper the air with her little puppy barks, 'yap... yap... yap... yap'. we would answer the door together, i would dole out the candy and then we would return to the basement.
once again the door bell rang and tasha tore out of the basement and i was hot pursuit. we are on our way up the stairs and tasha is in the lead 'yap... yap... yap... RWORF!!!'. tasha hit the brakes. her paws spread outwards and she whipped her head around to look at me. the look on her face was, 'what the fawk was that?!!' i have to admit i was pretty taken aback as well and i told her, "don't look at me... that came outta you".
she never yapped again.
Monday, March 26, 2012
manic monday
well it looks like the first soldier fell onto their sword today. just about lunch time the rumour mill was a buzz with the first casualty of the merger. the company is pretty large so although i have been working there for almost a year i still have yet to meet everyone. what i do know is that she was an employee with 12 years of service.
suffice it to say it put quite a mood on the place for the rest of the day.
the new head office had said that every employees, contract staff included, would know his/her fate by the 2nd week of april. it looks like they have started early.
what i find interesting is people are working with a guillotine poised above their head. yet they sent out a department wide email requesting overtime hours. it also asked people to volunteer to work through the long weekend to keep the flyer program on schedule.
suffice it to say it put quite a mood on the place for the rest of the day.
the new head office had said that every employees, contract staff included, would know his/her fate by the 2nd week of april. it looks like they have started early.
what i find interesting is people are working with a guillotine poised above their head. yet they sent out a department wide email requesting overtime hours. it also asked people to volunteer to work through the long weekend to keep the flyer program on schedule.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
twisted sister
this post is inspired by a conversation i had today. i was speaking with someone who was able to tell me one of their life's goals. i have to admit that i was a tad jealous. not of the goal per se but that he had one.
it continues to bother me that at this point in my life i still have no idea what i want to do, 'when i grow up'. year after year passes and i still am no closer to figuring it out.
people close to me have made career suggestions. i've been told i would make a great cop. suggested by those unaware of my hair-trigger temper. i imagine i would regularly be called in front of the internal affairs division to defend myself against charges of excessive force. tazing a jay-walker, firing a warning shot into a tire after a routine traffic stop, tossing a smart-mouthed teen into the back of my cruiser and taking him or her to ponderosa*.
family members often suggest that i consider stand-up comedy. i will admit to having a quick wit and hopefully with this blog i have demonstrated that i do have a sense of humour. there are a lot of other funny people who go hit the stage for open mic night. generally they bomb and the reason being is that most of us are funny in a limited capacity.
i can have my family in stitches around the dinner table. why? because i can do a spot on imitation of my uncle noel dancing. everyone in my family knows my uncle noel and they have seen him dance. when i imitate the 'walking up a hill' shuffle he does on the dance floor broccoli, rice and other food stuffs are spray through the air. but i couldn't for example. stand on stage in a comedy club and imitate my uncle. well i could... if i wanted to be heckled mercilessly.
i have tried to make a living in areas that interest me. i do remember my high school guidance counselors recommended that i pick a career that would make me happy. yet i was unable to make a living as a roller-blade instructor abd i was also unable to make a living as a personal trainer.
so until i figure it out, i continue to make pretty garbage. the weekly flyers that i work on are the kind that show up in your weekly newspapers. the one's you may glance at quickly before putting it out with the recycled trash. pretty garbage.
so until i figure it out, i will continue to admire those, like the person i was speaking to today, who knows exactly what they want out of life.
* i am not sure if they still call it that but basically a perp is cuffed and tossed in the back of the cruiser. for added punishment the driver alternates between speeding up and slowing down. the unrestrained perp bounces between the back of the seat and slams into the grill that is behind the front seat. if done correctly the perp's face will have a grill pattern on it, much like a steak on the grill at ponderosa.
extra style points given to those who get the reference behind today's blog's title
it continues to bother me that at this point in my life i still have no idea what i want to do, 'when i grow up'. year after year passes and i still am no closer to figuring it out.
people close to me have made career suggestions. i've been told i would make a great cop. suggested by those unaware of my hair-trigger temper. i imagine i would regularly be called in front of the internal affairs division to defend myself against charges of excessive force. tazing a jay-walker, firing a warning shot into a tire after a routine traffic stop, tossing a smart-mouthed teen into the back of my cruiser and taking him or her to ponderosa*.
family members often suggest that i consider stand-up comedy. i will admit to having a quick wit and hopefully with this blog i have demonstrated that i do have a sense of humour. there are a lot of other funny people who go hit the stage for open mic night. generally they bomb and the reason being is that most of us are funny in a limited capacity.
i can have my family in stitches around the dinner table. why? because i can do a spot on imitation of my uncle noel dancing. everyone in my family knows my uncle noel and they have seen him dance. when i imitate the 'walking up a hill' shuffle he does on the dance floor broccoli, rice and other food stuffs are spray through the air. but i couldn't for example. stand on stage in a comedy club and imitate my uncle. well i could... if i wanted to be heckled mercilessly.
i have tried to make a living in areas that interest me. i do remember my high school guidance counselors recommended that i pick a career that would make me happy. yet i was unable to make a living as a roller-blade instructor abd i was also unable to make a living as a personal trainer.
so until i figure it out, i continue to make pretty garbage. the weekly flyers that i work on are the kind that show up in your weekly newspapers. the one's you may glance at quickly before putting it out with the recycled trash. pretty garbage.
so until i figure it out, i will continue to admire those, like the person i was speaking to today, who knows exactly what they want out of life.
* i am not sure if they still call it that but basically a perp is cuffed and tossed in the back of the cruiser. for added punishment the driver alternates between speeding up and slowing down. the unrestrained perp bounces between the back of the seat and slams into the grill that is behind the front seat. if done correctly the perp's face will have a grill pattern on it, much like a steak on the grill at ponderosa.
extra style points given to those who get the reference behind today's blog's title
Saturday, March 24, 2012
technology 1 - family 0
there was some discussion today about all of the remotes hanging around the living room television. my parents decided that there was a remote left over from VCR we didn't have anymore. mom was in the process of stripping out the batteries when i decided to take a peak at it.
it would seem that i managed to stop my parents from tossing out the remote for their DVD player. they don't watch DVDs as frequently as they watch VCR tapes so it is likely that they just didn't recognize it.
i told you that story to tell you this one. my mother wants me to figure out why the VCR isn't taping the right shows. i ran into trouble negotiating the menu and i decided to consult the users manual. what can i say? consulting the manual is usually a last step for me.
i have the manual and i still can't figure things out. in fact it is even more confusing that it was before i opened it. upon closer inspection i realized that i was looking at the owners manual for a JVC VCR. however, i was not looking at the manual for the JVC VCR that was in front of me. so we are currently in the process of turning the house upside down in the hopes of finding the correct manual.
i should also add that every and all internet searches for a manual in a PDF format has been unsuccessful. even going to the JVC website hasn't helped. that particular model has long since been discontinued and they clearly no longer have any web presence for it.
some people might suggest that i have given up... i prefer to think of this as a strategic retreat. perhaps tomorrow i will have better luck because i think it is a pretty safe bet that the manual long gone.
it would seem that i managed to stop my parents from tossing out the remote for their DVD player. they don't watch DVDs as frequently as they watch VCR tapes so it is likely that they just didn't recognize it.
i told you that story to tell you this one. my mother wants me to figure out why the VCR isn't taping the right shows. i ran into trouble negotiating the menu and i decided to consult the users manual. what can i say? consulting the manual is usually a last step for me.
i have the manual and i still can't figure things out. in fact it is even more confusing that it was before i opened it. upon closer inspection i realized that i was looking at the owners manual for a JVC VCR. however, i was not looking at the manual for the JVC VCR that was in front of me. so we are currently in the process of turning the house upside down in the hopes of finding the correct manual.
i should also add that every and all internet searches for a manual in a PDF format has been unsuccessful. even going to the JVC website hasn't helped. that particular model has long since been discontinued and they clearly no longer have any web presence for it.
some people might suggest that i have given up... i prefer to think of this as a strategic retreat. perhaps tomorrow i will have better luck because i think it is a pretty safe bet that the manual long gone.
Friday, March 23, 2012
one for the bloke
i work with tammi*. tammi and jason* have a 16 year old daughter named nora*. nora has an unusual habit, she likes to collect coach purses. she has a number of these $100+ designer label handbags. tammi and jason insist that nora pay for the purses using the money she earns at her part-time job at whatta-burger*.
based on tammi's description, nora the quiet homebody type. she doesn't attend a lot of parties and is home most nights. her world seems to rotate between home and work. if that is the case, one kind of has to wonder why several high-end purses are necessary. does she carry her whatta-burger name tag to work in a coach purse?
late last year, tammi chipped in on a coach purse that nora, just had to have. barely a week later, nora announced she needed money to purchase a new outfit for the winter formal. as you can well imagine her parents were unwilling to give it to her and nora lost her everloving mind. she threw a tantrum, the likes of which she hadn't thrown in 14 years. then she gave her mother the silent treatment.
tammi and jason discussed not allowing any more purchases. they considered having her return the last purse to fund the new outfit. they settled on allowing nora to spend an additional $100 on something for the formal. they adjusted the figure to be $100 excluding taxes and finally agreed that the price before tax, could not exceed $125. to ensure nora didn't try to pull a fast one, she would be required to present the outfit with sales tags attached and the bill of sale.
now i have no interest in being a parent, it seems to be a pretty thankless job. i know that parents are motivated by the desire to ensure that their children have a better quality of life than they did. but sometimes things get a little skewed. it seems as though kids are coming to expect every and anything as their due. i fear what will happen to our society as more and more of these self-absorbed, self-indulgent individuals grow into adulthood.
this is tournament time in college basketball. division one basketball is big business in the united states. so earning a tournament berth is an even bigger deal. this year the university of miami was predicted to do well. partly do to the strength of one of their senior players. the tournament is set-up in a 'one and done' format, which basically means, as long as you keep winning you keep playing.
this particular player has a history of breaking team rules. based on how important she was to the team, her behaviour was often overlooked. this year however, her coach had enough. she was left behind when the team headed to spokane for the first round of the tournament. i suspect that the coach counted on the rest of the roster getting them through to the second round. as a third seed they would be facing a lesser ranked team, a team they should best handily. well as they say in the world of sport, 'on any given sunday'. through the selfish behaviour of a single player and truly inspired play by the eleventh seed, the miami hurricanes were sent packing after a single game.
this player was expected to go in the first round of the wnba draft. since she doesn't have any tournament exposure this year, the wnba coaches don't get one last look at her. she let's down her school, the program and the boosters who support it.
it will be interesting to see if she learns her lesson and makes some serious changes or will she spiral out of control. only time will tell.
* the names have been changed to protect privacy
today i opted for a different type of challenge and i asked the bloke to supply me with today's subject. hopefully my treatment falls within the parameters of his suggestion.
based on tammi's description, nora the quiet homebody type. she doesn't attend a lot of parties and is home most nights. her world seems to rotate between home and work. if that is the case, one kind of has to wonder why several high-end purses are necessary. does she carry her whatta-burger name tag to work in a coach purse?
late last year, tammi chipped in on a coach purse that nora, just had to have. barely a week later, nora announced she needed money to purchase a new outfit for the winter formal. as you can well imagine her parents were unwilling to give it to her and nora lost her everloving mind. she threw a tantrum, the likes of which she hadn't thrown in 14 years. then she gave her mother the silent treatment.
tammi and jason discussed not allowing any more purchases. they considered having her return the last purse to fund the new outfit. they settled on allowing nora to spend an additional $100 on something for the formal. they adjusted the figure to be $100 excluding taxes and finally agreed that the price before tax, could not exceed $125. to ensure nora didn't try to pull a fast one, she would be required to present the outfit with sales tags attached and the bill of sale.
now i have no interest in being a parent, it seems to be a pretty thankless job. i know that parents are motivated by the desire to ensure that their children have a better quality of life than they did. but sometimes things get a little skewed. it seems as though kids are coming to expect every and anything as their due. i fear what will happen to our society as more and more of these self-absorbed, self-indulgent individuals grow into adulthood.
this is tournament time in college basketball. division one basketball is big business in the united states. so earning a tournament berth is an even bigger deal. this year the university of miami was predicted to do well. partly do to the strength of one of their senior players. the tournament is set-up in a 'one and done' format, which basically means, as long as you keep winning you keep playing.
this particular player has a history of breaking team rules. based on how important she was to the team, her behaviour was often overlooked. this year however, her coach had enough. she was left behind when the team headed to spokane for the first round of the tournament. i suspect that the coach counted on the rest of the roster getting them through to the second round. as a third seed they would be facing a lesser ranked team, a team they should best handily. well as they say in the world of sport, 'on any given sunday'. through the selfish behaviour of a single player and truly inspired play by the eleventh seed, the miami hurricanes were sent packing after a single game.
this player was expected to go in the first round of the wnba draft. since she doesn't have any tournament exposure this year, the wnba coaches don't get one last look at her. she let's down her school, the program and the boosters who support it.
it will be interesting to see if she learns her lesson and makes some serious changes or will she spiral out of control. only time will tell.
* the names have been changed to protect privacy
today i opted for a different type of challenge and i asked the bloke to supply me with today's subject. hopefully my treatment falls within the parameters of his suggestion.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
dear hollywood, you suck
i have over 1000 points. once you amass 1000 points on your cineplex scene card you can see a movie for free. i have had the ability to see a movie for free since before christmas. so why, 4 months later do i still have over 1000 points? because hollywood is releasing nothing but crap!!
i haven't seen a trailer for anything that interests me. so it looks like i am waiting for the avengers to come out in may. may!!! i remember a time when i could go to the movies every week, not just to get out of the house, but because there were movies playing that i wanted to see.
i love action adventure movies. the kind of movie where reality doesn't necessarily play a role. bruce willis armed with a hand gun, with a seemingly never-ending supply of bullets. and he takes on a barrage of terrorists equipped with the latest high-tech gadgetry and automatic assault weapons. bruce finally gets down to his last bullet. which he fires into the forehead of the last remaining terrorist, who's assault rifle conveniently jams and i am on the edge of my seat.
jason statham, in a tricked out audi leaps off a bridge. he soars 30 feet through the air and comes to a pin-point landing on top of a moving train. it of course goes without mention that the brakes will finally engage seconds before he runs out of room. "pass the freakin' popcorn!!!"
matt damon notices the closet full of C4 and has just enough time to start to dive onto the fire escape. the explosive blows and the blast launches him the rest of the way out of the building and into the river located conveniently below. he suffers no burns and he isn't hit by any glass shards or building shrapnel. the blast does not deafen him or incapacitate him in anyway and he is able to calmly swim away. "when are they filming the sequel??!!!"
the chick flick, the buddy fart-humour comedy, vampire 90210, the slasher flick, the disaster movie, or anything inspired by real events. "sorry... not interested". in fact i was all set to see a jason statham movie not too long ago, until i saw the tag line 'inspired by real-life events'.
life is real, i go to the movies to escape. if i wanted to watch real life i sure as hell don't need to spend $13 on admission and another $10 bucks at the concession stand. real life is all around you and that sh!t is free.
i haven't seen a trailer for anything that interests me. so it looks like i am waiting for the avengers to come out in may. may!!! i remember a time when i could go to the movies every week, not just to get out of the house, but because there were movies playing that i wanted to see.
i love action adventure movies. the kind of movie where reality doesn't necessarily play a role. bruce willis armed with a hand gun, with a seemingly never-ending supply of bullets. and he takes on a barrage of terrorists equipped with the latest high-tech gadgetry and automatic assault weapons. bruce finally gets down to his last bullet. which he fires into the forehead of the last remaining terrorist, who's assault rifle conveniently jams and i am on the edge of my seat.
jason statham, in a tricked out audi leaps off a bridge. he soars 30 feet through the air and comes to a pin-point landing on top of a moving train. it of course goes without mention that the brakes will finally engage seconds before he runs out of room. "pass the freakin' popcorn!!!"
matt damon notices the closet full of C4 and has just enough time to start to dive onto the fire escape. the explosive blows and the blast launches him the rest of the way out of the building and into the river located conveniently below. he suffers no burns and he isn't hit by any glass shards or building shrapnel. the blast does not deafen him or incapacitate him in anyway and he is able to calmly swim away. "when are they filming the sequel??!!!"
the chick flick, the buddy fart-humour comedy, vampire 90210, the slasher flick, the disaster movie, or anything inspired by real events. "sorry... not interested". in fact i was all set to see a jason statham movie not too long ago, until i saw the tag line 'inspired by real-life events'.
life is real, i go to the movies to escape. if i wanted to watch real life i sure as hell don't need to spend $13 on admission and another $10 bucks at the concession stand. real life is all around you and that sh!t is free.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
office drama... a dish best served cold
the company where i am currently employed, on a contractual basis, has recently been bought out by a much larger company. the interesting thing is the new parent company does essentially the same work but services a different client base.
where i am currently working is in markham, the new parent company is in mississauga. just a couple exits shy of milton, along highway 401. the building in markham is coming up on the end of it's lease and the parent company is moving the business west.
there are a lot of people where i work, who are beyond concerned and not without good reason. some of them already have pretty gnarly commutes to work, one guy lives somewhere called port perry and another woman comes in from curtis. there may also be a whitby contingent.
adding fuel to the fire they were also told that there will a lot of duplicate positions, once both companies are housed within a single building. sometime around the 2nd week of april they will receive notice whether or not their postion is secure.
it is times like these i am very happy with my contractual status. i know my projected end date and i know that i am not promised tomorrow. as unnerving as such a situation can be, it can also be very freeing especially in times like these.
where i am currently working is in markham, the new parent company is in mississauga. just a couple exits shy of milton, along highway 401. the building in markham is coming up on the end of it's lease and the parent company is moving the business west.
there are a lot of people where i work, who are beyond concerned and not without good reason. some of them already have pretty gnarly commutes to work, one guy lives somewhere called port perry and another woman comes in from curtis. there may also be a whitby contingent.
adding fuel to the fire they were also told that there will a lot of duplicate positions, once both companies are housed within a single building. sometime around the 2nd week of april they will receive notice whether or not their postion is secure.
it is times like these i am very happy with my contractual status. i know my projected end date and i know that i am not promised tomorrow. as unnerving as such a situation can be, it can also be very freeing especially in times like these.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
say WHAT?!!!
i spent quite a bit of time thinking about a blog entry for today, to somehow make up for the drivel that was posted yesterday. i was minutes from my home, this evening, when the fates intervened. there at the side of the road... inspiration!
now i have many a fault and had you the time i would list them for you. but in the interest of brevity i will refer to a single, specific fault. i can procrastinate, i can turn procrastination into an art form... well at least so i thought.
tonight i was forced to come home, encase my crown in bubble wrap and deliver it to the new heir apparent. today is tuesday, march 20, 2012. it is the first day of spring. it is also the day that someone in my neighbourhood finally put their christmas tree out on the curb for garbage collection.
go ahead, wrap your head around that one... i'll wait.
oh and in case you were wondering, it was not a recently expired christmas tree. truth be told i should probably have reported them to PETCT but i didn't want to come off like a hater.
now i have many a fault and had you the time i would list them for you. but in the interest of brevity i will refer to a single, specific fault. i can procrastinate, i can turn procrastination into an art form... well at least so i thought.
tonight i was forced to come home, encase my crown in bubble wrap and deliver it to the new heir apparent. today is tuesday, march 20, 2012. it is the first day of spring. it is also the day that someone in my neighbourhood finally put their christmas tree out on the curb for garbage collection.
go ahead, wrap your head around that one... i'll wait.
oh and in case you were wondering, it was not a recently expired christmas tree. truth be told i should probably have reported them to PETCT but i didn't want to come off like a hater.
Monday, March 19, 2012
thirty two or one minutes to 8
i am going to admit right from the jump that this is a blog without subject, point and also i fear substance. the truth of the matter is that i am distracted by the 2nd round of the march madness tournament.
the game starts at 9:30 p.m and frankly by the time it is over i will not have enough time to blog before the EOD and since staying the course is the most important detail of this challenge, i give this. hopefully you won't hold it against me.
the lady vols played the depaul blue demons earlier in the season and were victorious. but there has been a lot of basketball since the teams last faced each other and both teams have made improvements.
how much of a hold do the lady vols have over me? i tried to book a massage treatment and was unsuccessful. the only time available was too close to game time for my comfort. i am tired and i thought about a nap after dinner but who am i kidding? i am either going to be too worried about sleeping through the game or far too excited to rest.
twenty minutes to 8. just an hour and a half to go.
go lady vols!!! survive and advance
the game starts at 9:30 p.m and frankly by the time it is over i will not have enough time to blog before the EOD and since staying the course is the most important detail of this challenge, i give this. hopefully you won't hold it against me.
the lady vols played the depaul blue demons earlier in the season and were victorious. but there has been a lot of basketball since the teams last faced each other and both teams have made improvements.
how much of a hold do the lady vols have over me? i tried to book a massage treatment and was unsuccessful. the only time available was too close to game time for my comfort. i am tired and i thought about a nap after dinner but who am i kidding? i am either going to be too worried about sleeping through the game or far too excited to rest.
twenty minutes to 8. just an hour and a half to go.
go lady vols!!! survive and advance
Sunday, March 18, 2012
who's that girl
francesca dilorenzo had recently started exercising again. it wasn't her fault that she had taken a break, but it may have been her fault how long of a break it turned out to be. it was really only supposed to be a couple weeks to get over the slight of rejection. how ever did 30 years pass seemingly overnight?
francesca found a gym in the g.t.a that was fairly large and always open. for the most part the people at the gym seemed nice enough. when they weren't looking at her strangely, judging her for the things she did on the gym floor.
it was the early 80's and the aerobics craze was front and center. there was going to be a regular aerobic program on citytv and after many an audition it was down to two women. it really could have gone either way. and really what made bess motta so special? nothing. it could easily have been frankie dee hosting the 20 minute workout. she could have been, hell she should have ended up being the household name. she should have been the one to end up with a bit role in the terminator.
so did she really care about the sidelong looks she got while as she worked out? she'd start off innocently enough doing bicep curls or tricep extensions but then in her head she could hear the theme music start. she could feel the platform spin and she would begin to just move... to lead her television viewing public through a program that would make her the fitness legend. she was the one pouting sensually at the camera as she begged the home viewer to do 'just one more'. it was frankie, not bess, who was bent over at the waist and looking all doe-eye through her legs into the camera lens.
don't these people know who i am?!!!
i people watch when i am at the gym. sometimes by accident and sometimes out of a sense of self-preservation. there is a new member and the way she carries herself and the things she does... well it is obvious that she has a story to tell. for grins i took a stab at what that story might be. and since the 20 minute workout, with bess motta was a very local thing. i found a clip that was someone saved to youtube.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
cheat meals rock!!!
lately, i have been implementing a x-rep training protocol. this program is supposed to allow you to build lean muscle without using extremely heavy weights. you have to give your joints and ligaments a break as the years of heavy lifting eventually takes its toll. since i started having issues with my knee i realized that i just couldn't squat that heavy anymore. i was in the market to try something new and this program was recommended by someone in the industry that i respect.
the first couple weeks i tried the program i noticed a difference but i wasn't eating as well as i could have been. so i obviously wasn't going to see any lean muscle gains, so it was time to really give this program a test. the x-rep program runs in 6 week cycles with an off-week. the off-week allows the lifters central nervous system (CNS) time to reset itself.
what i am doing is eating 1750 clean calories a day for 6 weeks. then i allow myself a single, no holds barred cheat meal. i can't really stay completely out of the gym for a week, so i do what is known as de-load training. when you de-load, you train only to keep the blood moving and you keep your training poundages fairly light.
today was my cheat meal. i went for a burger and sweet potato fries at jack astor's and i came home and laid ruin to mccain's deep 'n delicious chocolate cake. chocolate cake frequently appears in my cheat meals. what can i say? i am a woman who loves her chocolate cake.
the program is working out pretty well i have to say. i am down 12 lbs from the start of the year. i also know that i dropped 2" off my mid-section in the past 6 weeks alone. i am pretty pleased with my bicep measurements but my calves are still lagging. bicep and calf measurements should be the same to have a balanced looking physique. so clearly i still have plenty of hard work to do.
luckily i am not afraid of hard work.
the first couple weeks i tried the program i noticed a difference but i wasn't eating as well as i could have been. so i obviously wasn't going to see any lean muscle gains, so it was time to really give this program a test. the x-rep program runs in 6 week cycles with an off-week. the off-week allows the lifters central nervous system (CNS) time to reset itself.
what i am doing is eating 1750 clean calories a day for 6 weeks. then i allow myself a single, no holds barred cheat meal. i can't really stay completely out of the gym for a week, so i do what is known as de-load training. when you de-load, you train only to keep the blood moving and you keep your training poundages fairly light.
today was my cheat meal. i went for a burger and sweet potato fries at jack astor's and i came home and laid ruin to mccain's deep 'n delicious chocolate cake. chocolate cake frequently appears in my cheat meals. what can i say? i am a woman who loves her chocolate cake.
the program is working out pretty well i have to say. i am down 12 lbs from the start of the year. i also know that i dropped 2" off my mid-section in the past 6 weeks alone. i am pretty pleased with my bicep measurements but my calves are still lagging. bicep and calf measurements should be the same to have a balanced looking physique. so clearly i still have plenty of hard work to do.
luckily i am not afraid of hard work.
Friday, March 16, 2012
the magical law of murphy
my mother is of island heritage and although she has been here for quite some time, she still finds it cold during the fall and winter months. many years ago i happened upon holiday theme sweat suits and i would purchased them for her christmas gifts. over the years it has become harder to find these suits. so for the past couple of years i have taken to purchasing coordinating separates, (the holiday themed sweat shirt with a matching sweat pant).
last christmas i bought my mother 2 new sets. although she was very pleased christmas morning i noticed that she only ever wore one of them. it turns out she was hesitant to wear the second set because the sweat shirt was white. it has a snow family motiif complete with faux diamond eyes. i know what your thinking, but sadly my mother loves that crap; the faux stones, the sparkly bits, embroidery, glitter and sprinkles.
i proceeded to give her the business for not wearing the other outfit. she claimed that it was, 'too nice to wear around the house' and she worried she would get it dirty. i reminded her that i bought the outfit for her to wear. i did not buy it for her to adorn the hangers in the closet and that if it got dirty it could always be washed.
so a couple weeks later i notice that my mother was finally wearing the white sweat shirt. she decided to put it on after she got home from church. i made sure she knew that i noticed she had it on and she seemed pleased that i had. upon closer inspection i noticed a orange smudge on her chest.
i have to tell you that i was undecided as to how to handle it. eventually i grabbed the bull by the horns and said "by the way mom...". which was about all i got out before she snapped that, 'she knew she had already soiled her new top. and how it was exactly the reason why she didn't want to wear it in the first place'. i learned that i MADE her put it on and it was my fault that she had smeared her make-up onto it. furthermore if any of the faux diamonds came off while she was washing it, i was going to be choked out.
so flash forward a couple months and only the second time my mother had put the set on. she had invited my brother and his wife over to the house for dinner. i was in my room when i heard this commotion coming from the dining room. my father and my brother were desperately trying to get my attention. it seems that whilst enjoying her dinner, a piece of gravy covered chicken launched itself from my mothers fork. and, you guessed it, landed smack dab in the middle of her shirt.
i went out to take a look and my mother was sitting at the table fuming. she had this giant brown smear on her stomach. i looked at her, she glared at me and i backed away slowly.
last christmas i bought my mother 2 new sets. although she was very pleased christmas morning i noticed that she only ever wore one of them. it turns out she was hesitant to wear the second set because the sweat shirt was white. it has a snow family motiif complete with faux diamond eyes. i know what your thinking, but sadly my mother loves that crap; the faux stones, the sparkly bits, embroidery, glitter and sprinkles.
i proceeded to give her the business for not wearing the other outfit. she claimed that it was, 'too nice to wear around the house' and she worried she would get it dirty. i reminded her that i bought the outfit for her to wear. i did not buy it for her to adorn the hangers in the closet and that if it got dirty it could always be washed.
so a couple weeks later i notice that my mother was finally wearing the white sweat shirt. she decided to put it on after she got home from church. i made sure she knew that i noticed she had it on and she seemed pleased that i had. upon closer inspection i noticed a orange smudge on her chest.
i have to tell you that i was undecided as to how to handle it. eventually i grabbed the bull by the horns and said "by the way mom...". which was about all i got out before she snapped that, 'she knew she had already soiled her new top. and how it was exactly the reason why she didn't want to wear it in the first place'. i learned that i MADE her put it on and it was my fault that she had smeared her make-up onto it. furthermore if any of the faux diamonds came off while she was washing it, i was going to be choked out.
so flash forward a couple months and only the second time my mother had put the set on. she had invited my brother and his wife over to the house for dinner. i was in my room when i heard this commotion coming from the dining room. my father and my brother were desperately trying to get my attention. it seems that whilst enjoying her dinner, a piece of gravy covered chicken launched itself from my mothers fork. and, you guessed it, landed smack dab in the middle of her shirt.
i went out to take a look and my mother was sitting at the table fuming. she had this giant brown smear on her stomach. i looked at her, she glared at me and i backed away slowly.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
things that make ya go hmmmm....
one of my co-workers is dieting and she is following one of the fad diets. the interesting thing about fad diets, is that they tell you what to do, but they don't really teach you why your doing it. the why, is very key. when you don't understand the why it is likely that you will make mistakes. the problem with making mistakes when dieting is that it generally means the diet doesn't work.
the other day i walked into the kitchen and my co-worker was muttering to herself as she perused the packaging of her protein powder. it seems she wasn't able to figure out the carbohydrate content of the product, as it wasn't listed among the nutritional information. she knew enough to know, that there likely was some carb in the protein powder. but she also needed to be able to calculate how many points the shake would be worth.
i took a look at the label and i did the math for her. if you know me at all, you know that math and i don't get along. also there was the added insult of attempting to do math at 8:30 a.m. it turns out that there was approximately 3 grams of carbs per serving.
she then upended a bag of frozen fruit into her shaker cup. i knew i shouldn't ask but frankly i couldn't help myself. i asked her how she measured her fruit. she told me that she, "just sort of poured about this much into the cup". i bit my tongue, the inside of my cheek and i pressed my lips firmly together and left the kitchen.
her 'diet' program has her freaking out about the 3 grams of carbs in her protein powder. but it doesn't teach her to measure, or include the 30 grams of carbs from the 1.5 cups of frozen fruit that she added. since she also made a milk based shake, you can best believe she doesn't calculate the carb content of that either. so where she may be thinking she is only having 3 grams of carb. she was probably putting in closer to 45 grams in a single meal. that doesn't sound too bad until you realize that means the carbohydrates alone count for 180 calories.
and that my friends, is why fad diets tend to fail. either they don't teach you how to do anything beyond blindly following along a set plan. or they don't teach you how to survive at your goal weight, should you even be lucky enough to achieve it.
but sometimes it is just fun to sit back and watch.
the other day i walked into the kitchen and my co-worker was muttering to herself as she perused the packaging of her protein powder. it seems she wasn't able to figure out the carbohydrate content of the product, as it wasn't listed among the nutritional information. she knew enough to know, that there likely was some carb in the protein powder. but she also needed to be able to calculate how many points the shake would be worth.
i took a look at the label and i did the math for her. if you know me at all, you know that math and i don't get along. also there was the added insult of attempting to do math at 8:30 a.m. it turns out that there was approximately 3 grams of carbs per serving.
she then upended a bag of frozen fruit into her shaker cup. i knew i shouldn't ask but frankly i couldn't help myself. i asked her how she measured her fruit. she told me that she, "just sort of poured about this much into the cup". i bit my tongue, the inside of my cheek and i pressed my lips firmly together and left the kitchen.
her 'diet' program has her freaking out about the 3 grams of carbs in her protein powder. but it doesn't teach her to measure, or include the 30 grams of carbs from the 1.5 cups of frozen fruit that she added. since she also made a milk based shake, you can best believe she doesn't calculate the carb content of that either. so where she may be thinking she is only having 3 grams of carb. she was probably putting in closer to 45 grams in a single meal. that doesn't sound too bad until you realize that means the carbohydrates alone count for 180 calories.
and that my friends, is why fad diets tend to fail. either they don't teach you how to do anything beyond blindly following along a set plan. or they don't teach you how to survive at your goal weight, should you even be lucky enough to achieve it.
but sometimes it is just fun to sit back and watch.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
workin' 9 to 5...
i have just finished reading a couple of books. technically i tore through them. you know the book that you just can't put down, that you just can't seem to read fast enough? 'reach for the summitt' and 'raise the roof', where two such books for me. they are the story of legendary lady vols basketball coach, pat summitt and her experiences with a couple of her teams.
there are many lessons you could take away from her books. basically things you could do, within your own life, which could guarantee you more favourable results. beyond that you could read how she had to grow as a coach, in order to learn how best to guide the different personalities that came to her each year.
there were a couple of messages that were prevalent in the books that i found a little unusual. unusual but brilliant. the first thing that really shook me, was that failing was actually a good thing. i am terrified of failure, even the times that i hang my sh!t out there, i do so in a very controlled or safe manner.
pat summitt suggests that by failing we learn how to succeed. she also said that failure teaches you what kind of person you are, the truly successful will suffer their failure. he or she will move heaven and earth to recover from it and hopefully have a more positive experience the next time.
the other interesting message for me, was that everybody has a role to play. that we can't all be the 'star player'. some of us have to come off the bench and do the best we can while we are in the game.
that really struck a chord with me. i am a contract, computer production artist and in my current position i am part of a team working on producing flyers. flyers that appear in newspapers weekly all across canada. my part of the process is to do the changes to the files that other people have created. i do not design the flyer, i do not make the flyer pages and i do not subsequently create the variations of said pages that are delivered to different regions of the country. all that is done by other members of the team.
i recently mentioned to my parents my exact role in the process and they were both pretty disappointed. it was as though, the fact that i was not a major player in the process, or the 'star player' makes me a failure.
the reality is, as 'un-sexy' as my role is, it is necessary one. while i am cleaning up the mistakes or making the minor revisions the client requires, others are moving forward and building the pages for future flyers. since the client supplies us with very little turn-around time, what i do is still of value.
i earn an honest living. i do the best job i can and the reality is there is no shame it what i do. i am not the 'star player', i come off the bench... but i still contribute to the team and in the end we all win.
there are many lessons you could take away from her books. basically things you could do, within your own life, which could guarantee you more favourable results. beyond that you could read how she had to grow as a coach, in order to learn how best to guide the different personalities that came to her each year.
there were a couple of messages that were prevalent in the books that i found a little unusual. unusual but brilliant. the first thing that really shook me, was that failing was actually a good thing. i am terrified of failure, even the times that i hang my sh!t out there, i do so in a very controlled or safe manner.
pat summitt suggests that by failing we learn how to succeed. she also said that failure teaches you what kind of person you are, the truly successful will suffer their failure. he or she will move heaven and earth to recover from it and hopefully have a more positive experience the next time.
the other interesting message for me, was that everybody has a role to play. that we can't all be the 'star player'. some of us have to come off the bench and do the best we can while we are in the game.
that really struck a chord with me. i am a contract, computer production artist and in my current position i am part of a team working on producing flyers. flyers that appear in newspapers weekly all across canada. my part of the process is to do the changes to the files that other people have created. i do not design the flyer, i do not make the flyer pages and i do not subsequently create the variations of said pages that are delivered to different regions of the country. all that is done by other members of the team.
i recently mentioned to my parents my exact role in the process and they were both pretty disappointed. it was as though, the fact that i was not a major player in the process, or the 'star player' makes me a failure.
the reality is, as 'un-sexy' as my role is, it is necessary one. while i am cleaning up the mistakes or making the minor revisions the client requires, others are moving forward and building the pages for future flyers. since the client supplies us with very little turn-around time, what i do is still of value.
i earn an honest living. i do the best job i can and the reality is there is no shame it what i do. i am not the 'star player', i come off the bench... but i still contribute to the team and in the end we all win.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
the method behind my madness
i think that what i really want to talk about today is why i am doing this challenge. i know that in yesterday's post i mentioned how much i enjoy blogging but what i don't think i explained is why i made it into a 30-day challenge.
i believe that there are things that we all enjoy doing, that are good for our soul if you will. but i also believe that for many of us there are too many other responsibilities that must be handled on a daily basis. usually it means that there are things that get pushed to the side. we plan to do them later but later never happens.
for me, this 30-day challenge gives the activity that i enjoy an importance, something that can rival any of my other responsibilities. i don't need to write a tome, nor do i need to create a classic like 'war and peace' or 'huckleberry finn'. i really just need to take a few minutes out of my day and do something for me.
i have made the commitment to make it to the gym 5 times a week to train the muscles in my body from my neck down. this 30-day challenge allows me to exercise the big lump of jello between my ears.
so until tomorrow...
i believe that there are things that we all enjoy doing, that are good for our soul if you will. but i also believe that for many of us there are too many other responsibilities that must be handled on a daily basis. usually it means that there are things that get pushed to the side. we plan to do them later but later never happens.
for me, this 30-day challenge gives the activity that i enjoy an importance, something that can rival any of my other responsibilities. i don't need to write a tome, nor do i need to create a classic like 'war and peace' or 'huckleberry finn'. i really just need to take a few minutes out of my day and do something for me.
i have made the commitment to make it to the gym 5 times a week to train the muscles in my body from my neck down. this 30-day challenge allows me to exercise the big lump of jello between my ears.
so until tomorrow...
Sunday, March 11, 2012
back to life...
... beep... beep... beep... beep...
~ lets move... it's CODING!!!!
~ i'm taking over compressions... it's in v-fib
~ push an amp of epi and charge the paddles to 360
~ good charge
~ is it loaded?
~ yup... we're doin' it
~ CLEAR!!!!!
kah-chUNNN
... beep... beep... beep... beep...
~ it's hemorrhaging... it's probably in D.I.C
~ charge again
~ go
~ hang some ephi-epi and factor 7
~ CLEAR!!!!!
kah-chUNNN
bawp...... bawp........ bawp........ bawp........
~ normal sinus rhythm... good work people!!!***
after 2 years of silence, guess who is back?
well if you think this means, that i am on my way back to the stage you would be sorely mistaken. i am embarking on a 30-day challenge with one of my 'mates' from the gym. although referring to him as a bloke might be more appropriate. regardless he and i have challenged each other to write, for ourselves, daily for the next 30 days.
the truth is i do enjoy blogging, which seems hard to believe since i spent so much time NOT blogging. but i really wasn't in the best place and i felt like my posts were too negative. i think that the lay-off was a good decision and i do believe i am in a better place now.
that doesn't mean that i am out of the woods or that my knee issue is behind me. it is much, MUCH improved and i am happy to report that i have even been noticing real muscle growth in my left quad. now before folks start wondering when my next show date is, i should note that my right knee was only able to bear the brunt of the weight for so long. i am currently experiencing, what could be, a like problem in my formerly 'good' knee. the MRI to discover the actual nature of the issue is scheduled for the end of the month. after the problem is correctly diagnosed and a treatment plan is in place i should have a better idea when i can start plotting my come back.
i have said it before, so very long ago, but it bears repeating. i ain't done yet!!!
*** edited to add: credit the defibrillator sequence gray's anatomy 8.14 via youtube. i have no idea if the crashing patient survived
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