Crossing the Line

I happened to be watching the local late night news this week (call it a by-product of too much coca-cola) when an article that I watched made me so incensed I had a hard time to sleep.


As I was laying there, I thought maybe I should just get up and blahg it, but I didn't want it to be a knee-jerk reaction to being upset, so I thought I would wait a day or two before I sat down to the computer. As I am typing, I can feel my blood pressure rising, and realize I'm not much calmer than I was a few days ago regarding this topic.


The news broadcast was doing a commentary piece in response to an American 'undercover operation' which showed two windbreakered, duffel bag carrying 'agents' walking across a farmer's field from Canada and into the United States. The article then went on to accuse Canada about how lax they are about the patrol and security of the northern borders. It then showed a few congressmen with horrored looks on their faces, pointing the fingers, blah blah blah. Then, it showed a lovely little mock up of a map of North America pointing out that they have 1200 border guards between Mexico and the US, but for the more than double the distance across Canada there is only 1000.

Now, here's what sticks in my craw. What I don't understand is that if it's such a big issue to them, why don't they have their own people manning the big bad borders??? The door swings both ways, I mean, should I as a Canadian be concerned about americans sneaking into Canada across an unmanned border? Probably not. To be blunt, most of them think that as soon as you cross the border, you're in igloo country.(not much to worry about there.) If you're so concerned about unwanted individuals getting into your country, then I would think it would be your responsibility.

Maybe instead of pointing the finger, they should be using their thumbs and pointing at themselves. Was it not that long ago that a huge rally in Dallas for illegal immigrants causes such a stir...I can see you're doing a great job on the southern border too.

Perhaps their border agents would be nice enough to sit on that fence while they're at it...watch out for the picket.

Kickin' It Old School

Well, I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I’m going back to school.

Wow. I'm looking at that sentence and I'm thinking 'I can't believe I just wrote that...I can't believe I'm going to actually do that'.

I haven’t been in a classroom to learn anything in over fifteen years…Ouch. That’s going to be a kicker to the head for sure.

On the recommendation from my supervisor, I am in the process of pursuing a designation. I’ll be able to put a few fancy letters behind my name that will let everyone know that, hey! alot of money was spent and hey! I can learn.
It’s exciting and unnerving at the same time…knowledge is power. Am I smart enough?
I can do this!!! Can I do this??
Yes. Yes I can.
Facilities Management Administrator…FMA (Flippin’ Marvelous Academic).

I registered today and was given the class curriculum. I'm in the accelerated learning program (which by no means means that I'm smart, on the contrary, I've decided to torture myself in 4 easy days of 9 hours a day of class time)...with a two hour exam at the end. Somebody give me a lobotomy cause I must be outta my mind!

In the meantime, I have 16 chapters to cover and know inside and out by the time I go to class. Piece of cake....mmmmm, caaaakkke. Focus!!!!

My son and husband are very encouraging.

Mark is getting ready to take his entrance exams for the CMA next month, and already holds a degree in education as well as a diploma in business administration with a major in accounting.

Paden is loving kindergarten and happily spelling red, blue and yellow…next is green, purple and the tough one, orange…what rhymes with orange??? Nothing.

*Sigh* Tough acts to follow. I will endeavor to do the family proud.

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."
Plutarch

Thanks for the quote Jane.

Deep Observations...by Me on Sickies

Oh okay, people who are illll.....people who don't feel welllll....is that politically correct enough?

Yet they still think, hey I can still do the work.

Call them whatever you like, they're sickies to me.
Sick to think that they are well enough to come into work.
Sick to believe that they 'are the job'.
Sick to think that other people in the office environment want to hear them sniffling, see their red blotchy noses, smell the 'ew' of their cough drops, and heaven forbid if you have to sit next to them in a meeting!!

Don't be doing me any favors, and don't be bringing your icky germs to work for pete's sake!!

Up and to this point, I hadn't really considered myself a germophobe. But I'm beginning to feel like Adrien Monk. Funny guy, totally obsessive compulsive, and a fanatical germophobe. Makes for good TV...not good working relationships!!!

I love my boss, great guy, been sick for about 4 days and thought he had it licked...wrong!
He comes in today, trying to put on the brave face, sounding like he'd swallowed a shovel full of gravel...'Go home!!' I said (i'm such a force to be reckoned with)...I hate to break it to you but the world's not going to fall apart because you miss a day....one day.

So Dr. Lise prescribed one delicious hot toddy topped with rum, a Maxim's magazine and an episode of Oprah and sent him on his merry way.

He'll be here tomorrow. If he reads this, I may not be....hahahaha

It kind of actually surprised me, because (and don't you know it girls) while this may sound sexist, there is nothing worse (in their mind as well) as a sick guy.

See???!!! They didn't even flinch at that one, because they know it's a verifiable statement.

"My throat's sore"
"I don't feeelllll well"
"Can I have a drink of water??"

OOOooo, I know, let's call the waaaaahmbulance.

Hmm, Friday's just around the corner....I think I'm starting to get the sniffles, maybe I should take a sick day....see, ya shoulda stayed home in the first place, now I'm feeling all germy!!!

*cough cough*

Deep Observations... by Me on Keeners

Somewhere between ambitious and lazy (figuratively as well as in the dictionary) is a lovely little word I love to say – Keen.

Keen, Keener, Keeners (though you usually don’t get a clump of keen people, they are mostly loners). It has a nice ring to it. It can be used in a variety of ways to mean something complementary as well as used derogatorily.

Like my last blog on the jam – Terri was a keener, but that’s meant in the nicest possible way because I benefited from her keenness…very superb jam.

This weekend I thought I would be ‘keen’ and unpack my suitcases from my trip to India. Now, for those who know me and love me, I openly admit that I am the biggest procrastinator when it comes to unpacking…I can pack til the cows come home, but it takes me forever to ‘un’pack a suitcase. I returned from my trip to India exactly one month ago, so perhaps for me to say keen is stretching it a bit, but hey! I’m a glass-half-full kind of girl…my mother would, no doubt, call it being lazy.

This weekend had us over to visit a girlfriend of mine for dinner. Lovely evening, great food, great wine, great company. I even brought some trinkets from my trip for her.

Somehow we got on to the topic of Christmas shopping…wow!!! Aren’t you ever a keener (see, that’s not meant as a compliment). That is the same as saying, “hey, you’re making me look bad, what are you thinking getting your Christmas shopping done so soon, geez!!! There’s still 3 months left - what's wrong with you for cryin’ out loud!!!! I love her, really, but I wanted to smack her for being such a keener.

My sister has a ticker on her blog, counting down to their home leave. Very keen, but at the same time it’s a way to maintain the sanity as well as counting down to all the fabulous food that will no doubt be on every table that they stop at – because in our family, the world revolves around socializing with food. And trust me – there are many a keen cook in our family.

I was looking through my deepfreezer this weekend, now that I have my slowcooker back, it’s time to start pulling out the roasts and such…(sorry Dan)…as I’m looking through, I come across the turkey that I got for a good deal just after Easter thinking that it would be great to have at Thanksgiving…man, *sigh*, I’m such a keener!

Cherr-eee, Cherry Blossom

This is a picture which I took this spring of one of the trees I have in my back yard. While I was taking it I was thinking - "I wonder what kind of tree that is???"

I have a huge crabapple tree, a few cedars and apparently two nanking cherry bushes.

Really? I had no idea...that is until my neighbor, Terri, informed me.

"Are you aware that those are nanking bushes you have in the backyard?" I looked back with a vexed expression. "Reeeeaallly?" Truly. Right now my mother is shaking her head in shame. I will be the first to admit that I am NOT a green thumb.

"They make great jam."

"Help yourself" I said. "I know I won't be making any jam any time soon!" Again with the head shaking I'm sure...

Now I'm reminded of the saying, what goes around comes around. Yesterday as Paden and I were getting home from the library, I run into Terri. "I have a few bottles of jam for you to sample". So I'm thinking, that is SO nice of her. "That wasn't necessary, but I'm so glad you did", I laughed.

"Would you like to snag some of the crabapples?" I joked, thinking maybe there might just be a bottle of apple jelly in my future...hahahaha...I think the cherries was enough Martha Stewarting for her for one season.

This morning I had toasted english muffins with homemade cherry jam on top...scrump-d-lee-licious. Thanks Terri, you can come over and raid my cherry tree anytime!!

Things You Would Never See in Canada...

I debated about what to call this particular blahg...these pics are quite out of the norm for a North American, but something that's an everyday occurrence if you live in India.

The only way you would see a woman riding side saddle like this in Canada, would be on a horse.

It's not all that common to see two people on a motorbike in Canada, let alone three.

What does this say to me?? Gee Dave, the goat doesn't really get out much, let's take him out for some fresh air??

I have no words for this one...maybe, gee Dave, these chickens get way too much fresh air out here on the farm, let's hook 'em up behind the motor bike so they can really take in the fumes???

To Market, To Market...

The Temple Market in Pondicherry was a fascinating assault on the senses.

We took a tour through to see if we could pick up a few mementos of the trip.

It was only a block long, but boy, did they ever pack alot in one block!!

On one end of the block were vendors selling jasmine strands for women's hair,

apparently, only Tamil women wear them. They smelled lovely.

Elephants are considered very fortuitous in India, and at this Market, they had their very own elephant outside the temple.

She moved about from one side to the other, like she was changing the weight on her hip...and the bells about her neck jingled when she moved, as did the bracelets on her ankles.

She was a very clever girl, and as my nephew demonstrates if you're kind enough to spare some change, she would leave you with a blessing. Quite amazing, and a very amazing day.

Stop and Smell the Roses

As the saying goes, you need to stop and smell the roses...

I can honestly say that I don't remember actually seeing roses while I was in India.

But they had some other lovely flowers, and as photography is one of my hobbies, I couldn't resist...

It must be that it's so hot and their growing season is long.


The flowers even grow on the trees…



They were all very fragrant,


Although, I couldn't say for sure about the water lilies...not without the hip waders!!

A-Templing We Did Go

Mahabalipuram (say THAT 5 times fast!!)

What a phenomenal place. The temples there are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. I think they should be on the 'Wonders of the World' sites because they truly are a wonder to see. I was fortunate enough to visit with my sister's family as we toured back from Pondicherry to Chennai.
To say the Indians were a patient sort is definitely and understatement. These temples, of which many are carved out of one single monolith of stone, took generations to complete. The pictures I include in this blog certainly do not do them justice - to see them quite rendered me speechless, to which most will attest is no mean feat.

This was a very overwhelming view. It is almost 200' feet long, and one large monolith sculpt from end to end.

As you come around to the front of this particular sculpt, the elephant in the foreground is approximately 30' feet tall. The detail was just awesome in its scale.

It was a very hot day on the day we visited. Cool, I imagine, by most native accounts.

We had a superb guide who painstakingly led us through the temple site and explained the meaning of the carvings and various temples. He was very knowledgeable, although I must admit, that by the end of the tour, it was very much a sensory overload, and Vishnu blended with Krishna. Perhaps it was the sun frying my brain.

"My goodness", I said to the guide..."Did someone deface the wall? Those bodies are missing their heads!!!" "No Madam", he said. "This is how it was sculpted. The teacher, on the left, had the pupils heads lopped off because they refused to listen to the lesson being given".

Wow...that could very well have been my grade 3 teacher....heehee, only 1500 years ago!!

I guess no matter what the culture is, everyone has their version of angels.

It was an incredible tour. And I would highly recommend it to everyone. If I were to visit India again, I think I would try to do as many tours of as many temple sites as I could. If you love history and architecture, then it's definitely something for you to experience.

One word to the wary, however, the hawkers are very persistent. One in particular, followed me around the entire site because I made the mistake of commenting on his wares and saying that I might be interested in purchasing something from him on the way out.

I consider myself to be a very patient person, but by the end of the tour, I'm afraid I was bordering on rude, just saying 'no thank you' is apparently not enough.

Just off the site were many places to buy stone carvings, sculpts and trinkets. The work the stone carvers do is phenomonal, it's too bad they are so heavy...it takes a toll while carting them through customs!!

My Two Cents Worth

As part of my job, I have the responsibility of keeping the petty cash in order.
So I went to the bank today to sort out the change.

"I'd like x amount of 50s, 20s, 10s, 5s plus x amount of rolls of toonies, loonies, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies please."

So the clerk starts rummaging through the till to make up my order.

"I'm sorry m'am. But I don't have any change."

I laughed out loud, and being the smart-ass that I am said, "I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood you, cause I could have sworn you said you have no change".

"That's right m'am. I'm very sorry."

"But you're a bank!" And as I'm saying this, I'm thinking, holy cow is this ever my next blahg...

"Yes, but the manager is on lunch and I can not access the vault"...almost two o'clock, talk about working banker's hours!!

"Alrighty then, what can you give me in change?"

So he searches through the till and comes up with a few rolls of whatever, then THEN says to me, "You know madam, if you order your change ahead of time, we can make sure we have it for you."

I can't help wondering from which bank they would get THAT from....

Le Premier Etoile...

...'da first starrr of toooniiiite's 'ockey game'....

I've always loved hearing that. I loved it even more when the Canadiens were playing cause it's even more entertaining, for me, when my grandmother is watching at the same time...she would have whipped those guys into shape, let me tell ya!!!

I had the extreme pleasure of watching my little buddy Riley's first weekend of hockey. He's doing so great, and I don't think I could be any prouder of him if I was his mom. I know, that as Riley's parent's, Alissa and Marsh are certainly proud. Riley had many people out there supporting him this weekend, and Paden would have loved to have been out there skating with him, that will have to wait for another time, but will come soon enough. I wanted to share these clips with all of you because there's nothing better than watching a young man developing a new skill.

Hockey is such a great sport for kids. I believe, that with most sports, it not only gets them active, but they learn so many other life skills; teamwork, discipline, self-confidence, sportsmanship...the list goes on and on....a big attaboy for the coaches out there as well, they were very supportive and encouraging of all the guys out on the ice.

I'm sure Riley slept great that night after all that hard work. I bet he slept with a big smile on his face as well...I know it gives me a big smile every time I think about it. Way to go Bud, and keep your stick on the ice!!

Parent/Teacher

We had our first parent/teacher meeting this morning.

When we first arrived, there was a binder there that showed drawings the children had done the first day of school. The question was, 'What did you have to do before you came to kindergarten?' Some drew pictures of brushing their teeth, of waking up, of getting dressed...Paden drew a picture of himself in new clothes...not that there was any choice, he had outgrown the length of his pants. He had spent most of the summer in shorts, so we really didn't notice until we went to try on his fall clothes...how I love Old Navy!!!

So we come into the classroom, which I now dub Munchkinville, and notice all the bright and colorful things on the walls. Considering they have only been in school for about two weeks, the children have done alot of work. Paden had another picture on the wall - a self portrait... I can't wait to frame it. We sat down on little chairs, across from a little table....LOL, I felt like a giant.

Paden's teacher, Mrs. Walz, was very friendly and the comments she made of Paden leads us to believe that she is, indeed, a very intuitive teacher.

Paden is very friendly and kind to his classmates. He is very inquisitive and not just content to do something in particular, he wants to know the particulars!! 'Why are we doing something this way? Why does this go here?...and so on and so forth. Yes, he is quite analytical in some respects.

He is also very persistent. When he told the teacher she needed to help him with something he couldn't do by himself, Mrs. Walz indicated that she wouldn't be able to help him right away. Instead of waiting, he plugged away and got it done all by himself. What a guy.

I believe that Paden's first year in school is going to be an amazing one. We are very happy that we chose the school that we did for him.

It's been a good day!

A-Kerala-ing We Did Go!!!

Now that I'm a little caught up with getting back to life at home, I'd like to take a bit of a retrospective look at my visit to India. As the saying goes, 'nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there'. India is such an incredible amazing assault on the senses, truly in every sense of the word.

I, however, since I'm not tasked with making a life there (which I believe is what is necessary to make it work, you can't just live there, you have to make it yours in whatever small way is needed to thrive), I can say I probably have a bit of a different view of our trip to Pondicherry than my sister.

Perhaps I am getting a bit ahead of myself, because having spent two weeks there, alot had happened before our trip to Pondicherry, but it was such a great experience, that I figured I would just start there and jump back and forth from one piece to the next...so bear with me.

My view is quite a bit different than my sister's blog of the Dune's Eco Hotel.

Once we were out of the city, the sounds of the horns left far behind, the drive was beautiful. The roads were good, and thanks to Prabeesh we made pretty good time. It felt a different pace along the way, like people weren't as rushed, and like us, were enjoying the scenery.

Along the way we stopped at the zoo, which will be another blog, but was quite well laid out and had many varies of animals - like my sister indicated, suffice it to say that I felt like one of the exhibits...but I digress.....

We stopped at the entrance to Pondicherry/Puducherry, and continued on to The Dunes. Getting there was a bit deceiving, we had to drive thru a very poor village, which kind of made me feel a bit uneasy knowing how they lived versus how we were going to spend our visit.

The Dune is a rather large compound of cottages and outbuildings that boast being reclaimed from other sites. Our cottage was called Kerala House, which was moved from Kerala to their site and re-assembled. It was a marvelous example of architecture, having been built over 100 years ago and mostly built with teak and rosewood. You have to hand it to the builders, carpenters and artisans - they sure do beautiful work!

There was an intricately carved inlaid door that greeted us when we arrived at Kerala House.

It was rather funny to me, considering that it was flanked solely by plants and shrubs and anyone could have stepped over the bushes to reach the pathway, but it was a novel idea! There were, of course, a few modifications such as indoor plumbing, air-conditioned sleeping quarters and electricity. The mattresses, however, well let's just say I'm spoiled on a north american mattress...indian mattress=concrete floor...but the ambiance more than made up for it. The ceilings were very ornate, and the people must have been very slight 100 years ago, as the doors were very low.

The sliding doors opened up to the ocean breeze.

...and a gazing pond.

Very lovely.

We didn't get a chance to see much of the property,

although it was mentioned on more than one occasion by the property manager, that they grew the majority of the food that was served on site, and how they were eco-friendly and recycled much of the water. Go green!!

This stacking of the water jugs looked a bit odd to me at first, but once we came home from dinner I knew why they were there...they were columns of colorful light in the evening.

I think if you're expecting a five star resort, you'll be rather disappointed by north american standards. However, if you're looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, off the beaten path and away from the sound of car horns, with alot of character, then this might be the place for you. Just remember to bring sunscreen, bugspray and frog repellent. I loved it, and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to experience it first-hand.

Deep Observations...by Me on Kiss n' Ride

Before I begin my next deep observation, I wish to address my sister's comment on how fortunate we are in Calgary with our transit system. My last blahg was not 'dissing' the traffic, it was dissing the pedestrians, and from what I saw, they don't lollygag across the street in India. LOL

Now with that taken care of, let me explain the intricacies of the various modes of transport in our fair city of Calgary.

We have, at everyone's disposal should they use it, the Calgary Transit - which is composed of the light rail system and the transit buses. You can get to just about any place in the city, and to give them kudos (though many would disagree) compared to alot of places I've been to, it works pretty well.

If you are taking the train, you need to actually get to the station. This means by walking, biking, taking a bus, parking your vehicle at the station (good luck with that) and then taking the train, or being dropped off by a loved one.

The last two instances are commonly known as Park n' Ride, and Kiss n' Ride.
Unless you are at the station to park before approximately 7:15 am, you won't be doing any parking because there will not be any of the over 700 spots left. Your best bet is to have your mother/boyfriend/spouse drop you at the curb....which brings me to the deep observation for today...

As I am dropping off my husband at the Kiss n' Ride (bye Honey, mwah, have a nice day), I notice the vehicle in front of me. They pulled up to the curb, the driver gets out, grabs his briefcase and walks to the station. Wait a second, you can't leave your vehicle there....but no! Out of the passenger side, the woman (I'm assuming the wife, cause I don't think the mistress would stand for it) goes around to the driver's side, closes the door and drives off. NOW - what does that say to me? Gee Honey, I love you but I don't trust your driving...or hey my car is like my remote and there's no way you're getting ahold of it til i'm gone. I fail to see the point, really.
So I let my husband out, and as I pull away I look in my rearview mirror and holy crap!!! there's another one doing the same thing. Are these women wacked?

I am grateful that my husband does not seem to have this affliction, because when it comes down to it, if he did, he would not be getting the kiss... just the ride - on the end of my boot.

Deep Observations...by Me on Lollygaggers

This will no doubt be a series in and of itself. You've been forewarned.

Lollygagger

At first I thought, there's no way this is an actual word!! I thought it was something my mother thought up...you know, like 'lobester'. Yeesh, now I'm in trouble. But there it is in the dictionary.

And I was reminded of this word as I was on my way to pick up my son from school. On the way, I pass a secondary school, where as it turns out, many lollygaggers attend.

Here's another word - Crosswalk.

Crosswalk and lollygaggers do not mix well.

I am reminded, and can hear quite distinctly, the sound of my mother's voice WHILE crossing the 'cross walk'...'NO LOLLYGAGGIN', which meant you better be picking up those feet and moving it across the crosswalk. Now, if it were my aunt saying those words, it was usually followed up with a slap to the back of the head....uh-huh, you know who I mean on that one.

Listen up kids. It's called a crosswalk for a reason...Cross (as in the road) and walk(how you're supposed to get across). It's not called a crossstroll, or a crosssaunter, or heaven forbid - a crosslollygag.

Get to the crosswalk, and hussle it.
Here endth the deep observation for today.

Weinies!!! Bring me weinies!!!

Growing up out East, some of my most fondest memories are of when we would go camping. We had two favorite spots - Moose Brook, where my paternal grandfather had a cabin, and Portage Lakes, where my maternal grandfather would take us quite often. These days the roads are much more constructed, but back then (way back then) it was to me, the best drive ever! I would get a kick when we would meet a vehicle coming the other way because most times the road was basically two ruts for the tires with closed in brush, so manoeuvering was always a challenge as well as good for a laugh.

Once we would get to where we were going, the first thing (besides making sure no bears had gotten into the cabin) was to get the propane going. Next was to get the fire roaring. We were then tasked with grabbing the bucket to get the spring water that was across the way and down the bank. Then it was to get the beans started, cause it would take all weekend to let them bake in the oven...mmmm. As with most of my family, alot of our fondest memories are centred around food!!!...but I digress.....

It wouldn't be too long after that that we (the kids) would be shuffled off to bed, and I, being the oldest, would usually get the coveted raised bed out in the main room...just off where all the action was!! Most nights would find me falling asleep with the hissing of the propane lights, the crackling of the fire and the boisterous voices of my parents and grandparents as they battled over a rousing game of crib or of auction 45. Good Times.

Morning would come too quickly, but quicker for my grandmother as I would open my eyes to watch her banking the fire and putting on some coffee for the rest of the motley crew that was yet to wake up. I'd totter off down to the brook to wash up...(cripes was that water ever cold!!!)

We couldn't eat breakfast quick enough because as soon as that was done it was off exploring...and fishing. We'd walk the brook to the mouth of the river and most times come back with a lovely basket full of the most succulent little brook trout...the downside of course, was having to clean them first.

Sunday breakfast - baked beans, pan-fried trout, eggs, toast and whateverelse we had happened to have left over from the weekend's staples. What a feast!

Having been instilled with a respect for nature and the outdoors, it is now my turn to instill that in my son. I've always said that you can be closer to God sitting in a quiet forest than in a quiet church. It's a bit of a spiritual thing, but hey, that's how I roll.

Now that we live out West, we have the blessings of the best outdoor place on the planet. How could you not want to get out and enjoy nature when you have these as backdrops?

I hope that when my son is older, he will also have fond memories of the times we will have spent in the outdoors. I think we're off to a pretty good start. This past summer was pretty busy enjoying the outdoors: canoeing at Barrier Lake, boating at Little Bow, picnics at Forget-Me-Not Pond, camping at David Thompson and visiting with family at Cluculz Lake.

These are some of the images I will remember and hope that he will too.