tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28514711837436415382024-02-19T03:56:50.027-05:00Project: Priceless presents: Project: NESTLife after the famous free wedding: frugal modern newlyweds nesting, loving, cooking, adventuring, reviewing, & regaling with tales. And learning not to kill each other.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-2757508368419941032012-12-15T16:35:00.000-05:002012-12-15T20:13:06.426-05:00The NEST is wrapping up: a goodbye, for now.<div>
Ladies and gents, the NEST is bidding you adieu.</div>
<div>
<br clear="none" /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">The
NEST chronicled the experience of a newlywed couple living a frugal,
offbeat lifestyle. We blogged about food, love, intimacy, childrearing,
local events, crafts, and even renos. We took you along on a year-long
journey, and I am so grateful that so many of you followed along.
Because of you readers loving what you read, I got to do some amazing
things, like helping to organize a spectacular social media conference,
and getting to read my favourite blog post to a live audience. I
rekindled my love of writing, and got to showcase some amazing local
events and businesses. It's been a blast. </span><br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">So
now, readers, you've got a choice to make. Remember the Choose Your Own
Adventure novels you read as a kid? You're at one of those crossroads
right now, my friends. You can end your readership here, with the
closure of the NEST. The story will forever be the same, a happily ever
after story. It's that point in the book where you can close it and walk
away right now. Or, you can follow me once more into a new phase of my
life, my writing, and my relationships. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">So,
for the readers who choose to part ways here at the end of the NEST,
let me say thank you. Thank you for being a part of my world, and for
laughing, crying, and crafting along with me. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">For the readers who are ready to see what comes next, let me say...be ready for a whole new adventure. <a href="http://bit.ly/R0gqGn" target="_blank">Click here to follow onwards...</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">-Jordan</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-36337304259982466842012-11-16T20:33:00.000-05:002012-11-19T15:42:55.200-05:00A Battle with Autism: Join Logan's Fight<b>YOU'RE INVITED: A SPECIAL NIGHT OUT FOR A SPECIAL FAMILY </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHL5Mhq8Sz9hgb94hdg5rMpVp68VtZESspLZcy6tuEniFzrGOE7FELK-69h3fBJhCbcmM-NG5OC8ipmpy4E7J7EtWjW2d31WtJC6f96OaYLNgIH1rdM9A2REUmCusX9Ps59mMMsePME0/s1600/logan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHL5Mhq8Sz9hgb94hdg5rMpVp68VtZESspLZcy6tuEniFzrGOE7FELK-69h3fBJhCbcmM-NG5OC8ipmpy4E7J7EtWjW2d31WtJC6f96OaYLNgIH1rdM9A2REUmCusX9Ps59mMMsePME0/s320/logan1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Marta, who you'll 'meet' below, is a long-time family friend. Marta has an 11 year-old son named Logan, who has been diagnosed with ASD--Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is a common thing for many kids these days, and every family who deals with autism has a hell of an uphill battle. The costs are exorbitant, the stress is extreme, and the daily challenges innumerable. So when there's a ray of hope, it's hard not to reach out for it.<br />
<br />
Marta is raising money to send Logan for stem cell treatment south of the border. I've been witness to Marta's family's struggles over the past few years, but I've also seen the successes they've managed to accomplish with Logan. This family fights daily to get what's best for Logan and prove the doctors wrong--time and again--about his limitations. So when Marta came to me asking for help in raising the money needed for this new treatment, I said I absolutely would.<br />
<br />
Below, you'll be able to read Marta's story. Before I share her words, let me tell you about our first fundraiser for Logan, coming up on <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/259797617475652/?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">Monday November 26th, at the Boston Pizza in Barrhaven</a> (Ottawa). Between the hours of 5:00 and 8:00pm,</b> all diners will be able to place their bill in a fishbowl in the dining room, and 10% of each bill's total will be donated to Logan's treatment costs. <b>Reservations are a MUST,</b> so please call Boston Pizza to book: (613) 825-1414.<br />
<br />
We've also put together a lovely silent auction, with prizes like:<br />
<br />
1) Gift Basket of Epicure Selections spices - donated by Kelly Matheson<br />
Independent Consultant, Epicure Selections<br />
2) Financial donation by Jacquie Bushell - My Ottawa Mortgages<br />
3) Lastest release Cd's, T shirts and tickets to upcoming show from JW Jones<br />
- Canada's Top Touring Blues Act - Maple Blues Award Winner<br />
4) Original photograph - Princess Kate & Prince William - framed from Thom<br />
Fountain - Keller Williams Ottawa Realty<br />
5) Cosmetic Gift Basket - Joanne Picavet<br />
6) Flow Blue Plate - 120 years old - Ottawa Tax Services<br />
7) Flow Blue Plate - 105 years old - Ottawa Tax Services<br />
8) Cobalt Blue Milk Bottle with Cat relief - Ottawa Tax Servies<br />
9) Coblat Blue Milk bottle - "Pure Milk" - Ottawa Tax Services<br />
10) DJ Services for an event - J Stoddard DJ Service<br />
11) Hand Made pottery - signed - Sarah Ansell<br />
12) Intellectual Property Legal, Patent and Trademark services - Kyma<br />
Professional Corporation<br />
13) Limited Edition Ceramic Candle holder - signed - Ottawa Tax Services<br />
14) Certificate toward tax preparation services - Ottawa Tax Services<br />
15) Hand Made Pink Baby Quilt - Susan Kent<br />
16) Two cerficiates for Orthokenetic treatments and massage - Katerina Pek, RMT <br />
17) A handmade purse from JR Creations<br />
18) A $50
gift certificate from The Comic Book Shoppe. <br />
<br />
If you can help out by bidding, eating, or just donating, it's appreciated. Marta and Tim have set up an account in trust for Logan, so if you'd like the information for his account <a href="http://www.wewillnevergiveup.com/" target="_blank">go to their website her</a>e .<br />
<br />
This will be a long post when I include Marta's letter, telling her story. But I hope you'll all take the time to read it. Even if you can't help out, post a comment of encouragement, or just take the time to read. When a family is struggling, they need all the support they can get.<br />
<br />
Here's Marta's story.<br />
<i>Blogger's note: Marta asked to update her story, so if you read it earlier in the week, there may be new snippets in here for you. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYiW7PL4DhyqI-NOlvkPylqlv94yl4jqcn_oZXjpgu8AYqDjgacEjT5v3SlCW7TgSWNCGw6pd9V_LhXIWUv9JCFlYhSqvRQyJPOpHmQSiz6EjVradc1Wb5l-0Hiv8PQrJgm0hxZ8uDzw/s1600/logan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYiW7PL4DhyqI-NOlvkPylqlv94yl4jqcn_oZXjpgu8AYqDjgacEjT5v3SlCW7TgSWNCGw6pd9V_LhXIWUv9JCFlYhSqvRQyJPOpHmQSiz6EjVradc1Wb5l-0Hiv8PQrJgm0hxZ8uDzw/s320/logan2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47;">A LETTER FROM MOM </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">This is a story how one family survived against all
the odds, no matter what happened, they survived...this is our story.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">10 years ago our lives were turned upside down, our dreams
were shattered, things were never going to be normal again all from one word...
Autism. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">On September 5, 1999, our son Jared was born a healthy
9 pounds. We went through the typical parent anxiety like having Jared
sleep with us just “in case” the baby monitor didn’t work. Jared was not a good
sleeper and we found ourselves on many many car rides. Our paediatrician used
to joke and say “well you always have one bad sleeper and one good sleeper, so
the next child will be the good one” – little did he know. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">On November 27, 2000, Logan was born a healthy - and
big - 11 pounds. It was an exciting time for us, we just moved into our dream
home (that we built) and Tim had a great career in high tech which enabled me
to stay home with our boys. Things were going great. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The first year was a blur. I don’t think I slept
more than 4 hours in a stretch, but, as all moms can attest to you run on
adrenaline. We soon found out that Logan would <b>not</b> be the “good
sleeper”.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Logan was just over a year when he started to get sick
with ear infections. We were at his paediatrician’s every month. When Logan was
18 months old he had his 1<sup>st</sup> set of tubes (myringotomy).
Even with the tubes, Logan still wasn’t talking or paying attention to things
so – on a hunch - his doctor decided that we should see Neurologist. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Logan was 2 years 3 months, when we saw a
Neurologist’s who - after a 30 minute appointment - told us “your son has
Autism”. We – like many families – were in disbelief. The doctor
told us about the “chances” Logan would have in life 1/3 wind up in group
homes; 1/3 in institutions; 1/3 will have a better life if they get Applied
Behaviour Analysis (ABA) or Intense Behaviour Intervention (IBI) and we should
forget about Logan having friends or his own family. We left in such
shock and with little hope. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The only thing we knew about Autism was from
the movie Rainman. After that day our lives were never the same. We went
to CHEO to meet with our Co-ordinator who had us sign and check boxes in order
to put Logan’s name on all the wait lists for ABA/IBI; Speech; Occupational
Therapy; Behaviour and we were told <b>again </b>how long the wait was for
these funded programs and privately the costs for ABA/IBI alone was between 40
to 50k a year. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The same month we received Logan’s diagnose the
company Tim worked for went bankrupt and the high tech crash happened. So
we were dealing with being told your son has Autism, we don’t know what causes
it or what his future holds, the therapy is phenomenal and now Tim is out of
work. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Over the next year 18 months our home life was
chaos. Logan was in CHEO every month to either have his tubes replaced;
MRI’s or CT Scans. No one could tell us why the tubes weren’t working -
just that they weren’t. Tim and I became quite the “pros” at CHEO we
learned to show up with a dvd player and lots of movies for Logan since we were
always waiting for appointments. After many trips to CHEO, Logan would
cry as soon as he saw us pull up to the hospital. Every time they had to
look into his ears we had to hold him down screaming, it was so upsetting and
frustrating and then to be told “his ears are blocked again he has to have more
surgery” I would leave in tears.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It doesn’t matter how many times you have to give your
child to the OR doctors you never get used to it. Tim and I would sit
right outside the operating room and wait hoping that this would be the last
time.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It only took 15 months from the time Logan was
diagnosed for us to use all our savings, sell almost everything we owned and
loose our home because the cost for therapy was</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">exorbitant</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Speech
was $100.00 an hour, Occupational Therapy was $100.00 an hour and Behaviour was
$75.00 an hour. We managed to put him in ABA part-time for a year at a
cost of over $14,000.00. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The services from CHEO were few and far between and
they had “their way of dealing with kids with Autism”. For speech they liked
using pictures to communicate instead of using words - Logan wasn’t deaf so I
was determined that he was going to speak. We saw a behaviourist a few
times and she basically said “kids with Autism don’t have eye contact”
so....that means’ Logan won’t? We didn’t want to wait to start therapy with
Logan so we did it privately. Did we see improvements – ABSOLUTELY – but
we ran out of money and had to stop.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2851471183743641538" name="13b0fa9b40a52ce4__GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I
researched everything I could find on Autism and therapies and tried anything
to prove the doctors were wrong</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">about
Logan. Of course, we fell prey to people promising cures that did not
happen - they just wanted our money. Tim says we did a lot of “voodoo” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> but I never gave up hope.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In, <b>2004</b> Jared was diagnosed as gifted but with
a learning disability and anxiety disorder. Once again we were faced with
having a child in therapy to help him learn how to read</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I went back to work part time and my father came to
our rescue and babysat our children in order to help us financially. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">THE
COST OF AUTISM</span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Tim
and I have struggled to be a family and at times we didn’t make it. The
divorce/separation rate for couples when money is involved is high when it
involves children with special needs it goes up.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">One thing people don’t understand, unless they have a
child with special needs, is the cost. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Respite
care 5 years ago was $10.00 an hour now it is $20.00. Weekend of respite from
Friday night to Sunday morning is $500.00 (neither child has ever been away
from us)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Camps run
anywhere from $450.00 a week to $700.00 a week.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The day
to day expenses of things getting broken or if there is a small hole in
something that Logan is wearing he rips it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The daily costs of having a child with Autism are
unbelievable. As a family we don’t qualify for charities or ACSD, (Assistance
for children with severe disabilities) because the rules say you have to
qualify by “gross” family income not net. They do not take into account
anything that has happened. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> If I were a single mother that would be
different I would get more funding, ACSD qualify for charities, etc. I
have gone to SCS (Service Co-ordination) to apply for funding and found out
that we don’t qualify for anything but I could apply for “bridge
funding”. Bridge to what I don’t know since we were told we don’t qualify
for anything. I was also told that parents should learn to budget better,
take their holidays to cover off the summer months, school holidays and use
City programs. Well…I did try “city programs” a few times with Logan and
it was a disaster. He was NOT properly looked after:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">One day
at camp he got sun burned because they didn’t put suntan lotion on him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Another
time they didn’t put bug spray on him and he came home covered in bites.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">One time
I showed up and his “assistant” said that he didn’t want to participate in
anything he just wanted to twirl his string. When I saw Logan he
was walking funny and it was because after he was swimming he put both legs
through one leg of his shorts so no wonder he didn’t want to participate.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I have
shown up early only to find other kids poking him because his “assistant” was
busy talking to other people. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I have been told I should look into the City run SNAP
program and when I did I was told Logan didn’t qualify because he couldn’t be
in a 1 to 5 ratio. That’s right my Autistic son who is a runner, is very
“curious” and manages to break toasters, microwaves, phones etc. and needs help
with toileting requires 1 to 1 - no surprise for us, as we always knew that. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">As for holidays, Tim gets 3 weeks which he uses up for
appointments for the kids, sick days for the kids etc….I only work part time
and don’t get paid unless I am there. When I do work extra hours it
works against me because at the end of the year my T4 goes up and “Services”
think your family income has increased and while that is true but so has my
expenses.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I understand that most families face the cost of child
care, extra circular activities, camps etc. but when your child grows up the child
care expenses decrease and at the age of 11 would your child still
wander, be destructive, leave the house without clothes on, flush things down
the toilet and break numerous items? Logan will never be able to stay
home by himself and the costs for day camps run anywhere from $450.00 up.
When you are planning the future for your child you would look at College,
University not where you are going to be able to afford to place them in a home
– if there is one available.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Today, my father cannot watch my children as he is in
his late 70’s and has to take care of my mother who has Dementia, Alzheimer’s
and various other medical problems. I take time off work to help my
parents with doctor’s appointments, laundry etc.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">We are <b>not</b> asking for pity –we are asking for
help so that we can try the Stem Cell treatment on Logan. I know there is
no guarantee. They are doing a study on younger children with Autism in
the USA but by the time the treatment comes to Canada we will be told Logan is
too old and I am so tired of hearing that. Since Logan’s diagnosis he
has:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Learned
to speak - when we were told he probably wouldn’t and we should learn to use
sign language or pictures.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Learned
to dress himself – he still forgets at times but we’re getting there.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">He has
some social skills –when we told he wouldn’t.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">He makes
eye contact – when we were told kids with Autism don’t.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">He
actually lets us hug him now and he shows affection. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Logan and Jared have made some pretty incredible
advancements. Jared is reading on his own and actually likes going to
school (much to the surprise of my friends and I). We take joy in the
little things that Logan does like getting his own milk, using a full sentence,
putting on his shoes etc. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">NEW TREATMENT, NEW CHANCE </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">What results are we hoping for with the stem cells
treatment?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Logan’s
language skills increase and he would be able to answer some questions like:
how was your day? what did you do? what do you want to do? and when he’s upset
ask him “what’s wrong” and have him be able to answer. It would even be
great if Logan and Jared would argue at least there would be some sort of
interaction.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sleeping
through the night</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">·</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Be able
to regulate his sensory issues.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">MOST IMPORTANT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> We want Logan
to be a productive member of society – not a drain on ODSP, welfare or on
drugs. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tiJ-8MTXkWthYONHPwq4qpBa7J7Sx4swvwOHRlvNUbkkt13-RhzpRA5RgFo57TZ5aN1NHA-Ob3j_eSK6L-lKIBJ5ihQMBiWRqNg80UE7ihbfcXGT62J_DUBA-Ek_n_PvrdQXItIU1gY/s1600/logan3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tiJ-8MTXkWthYONHPwq4qpBa7J7Sx4swvwOHRlvNUbkkt13-RhzpRA5RgFo57TZ5aN1NHA-Ob3j_eSK6L-lKIBJ5ihQMBiWRqNg80UE7ihbfcXGT62J_DUBA-Ek_n_PvrdQXItIU1gY/s320/logan3.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">HOPE
ON THE HORIZON: HOW TO HELP</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
am not asking for pity with my store. I am asking for help so that we can try a
Stem Cell treatment on Logan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
that this is very ‘iffy’ and there is no guarantee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are doing a study on younger children
with Autism in the USA but by the time the treatment comes to Canada, Logan
will be too old and I am so tired of hearing that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
don’t want to wait and see how the Stem Cell treatment works on other children
I want to try it on Logan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want Logan
to be a productive member of society not a drain. This stem cell treatment will
require us to raise about $16,000 to get treatment, travel, etc. We are working
to start that fundraising now. You can help out by:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-Attending
the fundraiser we’re having at Boston Pizza in Barrhaven (Ottawa) on November
26<sup>th</sup> from 5-8pm. There’s a silent auction, and 10% of your bill from
your meal will go to Logan’s treatment. All you have to do is make a
reservation by calling (613) 825-1414</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-If
you can’t come but still want to help out, we’ve set up a bank account in trust
for Logan. You can make a contribution by <a href="http://www.wewillnevergiveup.com/" target="_blank">heading to our website</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-Spread
the word. If you have friends who can help out, have fundraising ideas, blogs, or
happen to work in the media and may be willing to spread the word further, let
us know. (Blogger’s note: you can email Jordan at <a href="mailto:projectpriceless@gmail.com">projectpriceless@gmail.com</a> and I
[Jordan] will share the info with Marta, or <a href="http://www.wewillnevergiveup.com/" target="_blank">head to their website</a>.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">SUCCESSES
TO BUILD ON</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Since
Logan’s diagnosis he has:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Learned
to speak - when we were told he probably wouldn’t and to learn to use sign
language or pictures.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Learned
to dress himself – he still forgets at times and he always forgets to wear
socks and shoes, but hey: we got the pants on.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He
has some social skills –when we were told he wouldn’t.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He
makes eye contact – when we were told kids with Autism don’t.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He
actually lets us hug him now and he shows affection.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
doctors said none of this would be possible, but Logan has accomplished it all.
We want to give Logan another chance to show the world how great he is, by
getting him this treatment. We’ve seen him come so far, and that’s why our
website for Logan is called <a href="http://www.wewillnevergiveup.com/" target="_blank">We Will Never Give Up</a>. Please help us fight for our
son.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thanks,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Marta,
Logan’s mom</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-91291206672047819612012-10-20T09:24:00.003-04:002012-10-20T09:24:52.744-04:00Hark! The laptop has returned!Yay, sing a song! Do a spin! Shout to the rooftops! My laptop is BACK!!!<br />
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I can blog for real again!<br />
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Let's just enjoy this a moment, shall we, this wonderful moment where I'm not trying to access all my blog functions on a tiny, bare-bones mobile app? Let's enjoy the simple pleasure of uploading a photo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIYnbAFSJpZA2z9N3kzU1NKA0Lq7_lFW7tU4tEsr3O_9KhPfce5cACMKwcLUNGqY9ljIoSy0b57wmEDRRyrHOjDBeK7XI7y63p-_V6yZb8YsXi4dnE4xZw2voWWFAY2jmad1uaEHBjMg/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIYnbAFSJpZA2z9N3kzU1NKA0Lq7_lFW7tU4tEsr3O_9KhPfce5cACMKwcLUNGqY9ljIoSy0b57wmEDRRyrHOjDBeK7XI7y63p-_V6yZb8YsXi4dnE4xZw2voWWFAY2jmad1uaEHBjMg/s320/IMG_0576.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Ha! Wondrous day! Now, wait for it....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ9Vywk5DiAnHAKU0QxLA484PT3dvCG5IjZrx0n4ZQbhM8wByxlwY7lnf2kMtbTnd5jdY-uFAXWD2bTwFmH-pkDWOm1mzq2feC03yUZ8pEpt05Cxju5SPdioG3JornPJO47ZQBoYAMaU/s1600/4715144377_e6da84b7e9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ9Vywk5DiAnHAKU0QxLA484PT3dvCG5IjZrx0n4ZQbhM8wByxlwY7lnf2kMtbTnd5jdY-uFAXWD2bTwFmH-pkDWOm1mzq2feC03yUZ8pEpt05Cxju5SPdioG3JornPJO47ZQBoYAMaU/s320/4715144377_e6da84b7e9_b.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Yes!!!! Right-side alignment!Sing the praises of the heavens above!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt0qm6W6xOeiNOl9apUnagY0NBp7HXemkCncClKPJcQwZEPtHnL6iAWOHUFp7vIKfbyEa1dGGESj4MTJv1fQFz73fLGZas7IyZP-68CbovssPatyFvIdW5PVdKs-8ADVFaqc44Uxh6Pw/s1600/JORDAN+ON+BIKE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Callooh callay! It is once again possible to embed a video! We have returned from the stone age, my darlings. (PS. It's worth the watch.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lkoNKrBHWOo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
O, glorious joy of changing my <span style="font-size: large;">font size</span>, <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">colour, </span><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">and style</span>!</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><span style="color: #073763;">The world is my oyster again. And I have 32 colours to enjoy it in. </span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: black;">So let out a boisterous cheer and raise a pint to the techie nerds who got my darling laptop back on his feet. Huzzah, you pale, hunchbacked computer geeks. I tip my hat at your scrawny, comic-themed-shirt-clad selves. Staying indoors all those years, growing pasty and never talking to girls, was worth it all. Your sacrifice will be remembered, nerds! I thank you. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: black;">All this to say: I'm back, and I'm blogging.</span><i> </i></span></span><b>Maybe in bold.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-54160051048089742062012-10-13T23:47:00.002-04:002012-10-14T08:53:39.607-04:00Mini-post: I am the nutter on the street corner<i>Our laptop is in the laptop hospital, so blogging has been difficult. To pass the time, I'm writing mini-posts until my precious computer is returned to me. Here's another</i>.<br />
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Today I went grocery shopping, and my bestie MJ called me at the same time. I had my handsfree thing in my ear as I entered the store, and our chat carried on through my entire shopping excursion--even the part where I argued with the cashier about a gift card. As I was heading to the exit, a pretty gal about my age was walking through the doors and made eye contact with me; I must have been smiling at something MJ was saying because this girl smiled back at me, but I wasn't actually paying attention to her, and she clearly hadn't noticed my handsfree thingy. Anyway, MJ was telling me about how the olives on the pizza she'd just ordered smelled funny, so I was reassuring her, saying, "Sometimes olives smell funny, honey." The timing worked out that I said this rather odd sentence just as the grocery store girl was passing right in front of me. The poor thing clearly thought I'd opened my mouth to address her, maybe thinking we knew each other, and instead of a hello, she got, "Sometimes olives smell funny, honey." Grocery Store Girl giggled nervously and took off. MJ was still debating whether or not to eat her pizza, so I just shrugged and walked on.<br />
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I should probably mention that this is the same grocery store where I'd previously stolen a woman's grocery cart and had been observed sorting through the stranger's groceries til I'd found all the produce I wanted. (If you haven't read that post, <a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2012/04/jordans-easter-confessional-revisited.html" target="_blank">now's your chance</a>.) I won't be surprised if my photo is up in their security office soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-84127360980357444452012-10-12T08:44:00.000-04:002012-10-12T08:44:55.591-04:00Mini-post: Toronto without a skirtMiss me? Oh, how I miss you, too. As mentioned in passing a couple of weeks ago, the household laptop is broken, making it near impossible to upload a proper blog post. My laptop's name is Darth Bleeblo (for reasons I won't bother trying to explain); Darth Bleeblo had some sort of stroke a couple weeks ago, and she's been off travelling to the laptop hospital or wherever it is that she goes when she's still under warrantee. She's giving the repair guys a run for their money, I hear: she's demanded special-order parts, and she even managed to eat her warrantee papers during shipment. All this has led to a slow recovery, and has made it virtually impossible to upload a blog post properly. But I have decided to post mini-blogs until she gets back from the shop, so you don't miss out on too much and so I don't lose my mind. Because once you get used to telling the world your stories 2-3 times per week, it's hard to shut up.<br />
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TORONTO WITH MJ <span id="goog_303011962"></span><span id="goog_303011963"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">This week I went to Toronto to see my BFF, MJ. You'll recall MJ moved to the big TO this past summer, leaving me grief-stricken and miserable, until finally I cracked and planned a trip to go see her. I am not a natural traveller, which probably is obvious for those who know about my anxiety disorder and OCD. Luckily, my plans coincided with the plans of my other BFF, Hal; so I had safe and stress-free wheels to get me there, and even a hotel room for the three of us to hide out in. </span></div>
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On the first morning, MJ and I got up at the crack of dawn and quickly dressed to go outside for a smoke, trying hard not to wake up Hal. Hastily, I decided not to change out of my PJ's--little satin boxers and a tank top--but instead simply threw a stretchy wrap skirt over my bottom half, and a jacket over my top half. Feeling suitably dressed for standing on a Toronto sidewalk, we headed downstairs. </div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I had to pee, but hadn't wanted to risk waking up Hal, so I told MJ to go ahead outside while I used the loo in the hotel lobby. When I finished and went to wash my hands, though, I looked in the mirror and realized that I was standing there in my tank top, jacket, and little satin boxers...no skirt. I whirled around and checked the stall to find my skirt, figuring the wrap ties had come undone: nope, no skirt there. A cold sweat broke out along my spine as I began to mentally trace my steps, trying to figure out where my skirt could have come off, and how I'd failed to notice. I spun around and around in the bathroom, hissing under my breath, "What kind of horrid nightmare </span><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">is</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"> this?!" There was no way I could go out and find MJ on the street wearing tiny silk boxers, and there was no way I was going to walk back through the lobby, with all those bellboys dressed in suits.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">At some point in my panicked stupor, I must have looked in the mirror again and noticed that my waistline looked a little rounder than usual. I did a double take and put my hands to my midriff; there, sure enough, was a jumbled bunching of fabric. With shaking hands, I slowly unfurled my bunched-up skirt from where it had been concealed under my bomber jacket. Clearly, I'd hitched my skirt up to pee, far enough up that it was tucked up around my waist. Covered by my jacket, it had seemed to disappear. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I share this story because I know someone, somewhere out there, has embarrassed themselves this week, and will take heart in hearing s/he's not alone. Misery does love company.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-31795283048485123532012-10-06T21:54:00.004-04:002012-10-06T21:54:53.386-04:00Thanksgiving Revisited: the horrorOur computer has been in the shop all week, so it's been near-impossible to get a new post up. But what I AM able to do is share last year's Thanksgiving post with you all again--the Reader's Digest version. If you want the full, gory story, <a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2011/10/thanksgiving-poison-potatoes-severed.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">POISON POTATOES: REASONS TO BE THANKFUL (THAT I DON'T COOK FOR YOU)</span></b><br />
<br />
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Thanksgiving weekend ended up being full of
adventures, many culinary. I threw myself into the deep end of the pool
on Saturday: Mom’s family was getting twenty-five of us together and I
volunteered to bring the sweet potatoes. To be fair, I hadn’t realized
there would be twenty-five people when I volunteered, but when I found
out the night before, I was brave and just bought more potatoes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11peH18_mUWA8hxH1G-u_IJf5xaElV-K6efaUSrdBjmCbTkKZQZRzOTveegrVsA0MvCZ-6bm0Msne54v4W387FOLtmYhmVoA8qXMRsn73_Dv0OsCOSMtDpjejZYNKVXnWiDKnKv4qLdE/s1600/Potatoes+1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11peH18_mUWA8hxH1G-u_IJf5xaElV-K6efaUSrdBjmCbTkKZQZRzOTveegrVsA0MvCZ-6bm0Msne54v4W387FOLtmYhmVoA8qXMRsn73_Dv0OsCOSMtDpjejZYNKVXnWiDKnKv4qLdE/s200/Potatoes+1.jpg" width="200" /></a>I
had made mashed yams once before, a few weeks prior, when I attempted
to make baked sweet potatoes. We had been visiting my parents, and eager
to show them my new cooking interest, I had found a recipe online for a
twice-baked sweet potato. The instructions were deceptively simple:
bake, scoop out, mix ginger and raisins, bake again. What ended up
happening was that after an hour in the oven, the damn things were still
hard as a rock, so we threw them in the microwave and did them as
ginger-raisin mashed potatoes instead. They turned out really delicious,
and Mom was a great support; I was so frustrated that I couldn’t pull
off this recipe that a certain famous Food Network chef thinks is sooooo
easy. Mom just kept saying (and this is my advice to all of you): <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Potatoes
are funny things; sometimes they’ll cook in no time, and sometimes
they’ll take hours. Don’t bother with that stupid recipe. Throw them in
the microwave.” </b>And her mantra for the evening, chanted at me so I wouldn’t throw the yams out the door: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“It’s not YOU, it’s the potatoes.”</b> In the end, we made a delicious dish, and I felt ready to try them again for the larger family.</div>
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Saturday
morning, first thing we did was wash the potatoes. Then Brian
volunteered to cut them up into smaller sections, as I was determined
not to nuke my food in the microwave; we figured, cutting the potatoes
into smaller portions would help them cook faster. We had talked with
some tweeters the night before about just getting pre-cut potatoes, but
a) I didn’t find them, and b) I figured my best bet was to follow my
botched twice-baked recipe again, with the same modifications, because
the end result had been great. After what happened next, I’ll tell you, I
wish I had bought the stupid cut-up potatoes…<br />
<br />
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Brian
cut his finger open. Even writing this out, three days later, I cringe.
I left the room for two seconds and that’s when I heard his swearing. I
knew what had happened. I thought I was ready for it. I ran in, saw the
blood pouring out of him and the actual fear on his face…and I
panicked. All my First Aid got jumbled in my head, like someone dropping
a deck of playing cards. We managed to rinse the wound, sit him down,
and apply pressure with a clean cloth. But every time we tried to look
at it, it gushed again. What did I do? The only thing I knew how to do: I
called my BFF MJ, who worked as a chef for fifteen years. I made her
come over and assess the wound. She doesn’t live far, and she showed up,
my hero, in mismatched pyjamas, running up the stairs. She suggested
the Brian needed stitches, which Brian flat-out refused to do, so she
suggested keeping an eye on it and seeing what happened. What happened
was, it refused to seal itself, so we went to the pharmacy and got that 2<sup>nd</sup> Skin stuff to seal it. </div>
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As
Brian lay down for a while, looking pale and really scary, I forged on
with the potatoes. I baked them for an hour, only to find they were
still rock hard. I gave them another thirty minutes, and then discovered
half of them had dried out. Stress and worry got the better of both of
us, and Brian and I had a seriously crabby argument for no good reason
while I tried to salvage the portions of potato that were either
undercooked or cooked, but not dried out. I threw the resulting pulp
into the microwave, feeling like a big cheater.</div>
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After
that, though, the potatoes were indeed cooked and there seemed to be a
pretty good yield, though maybe not enough to feed two dozen people. I
mashed and stirred the potatoes, adding some (almond) milk, butter,
raisins, and ginger, but it still tasted like it needed something. In a
moment of inventiveness, I grabbed the maple syrup and gooshed in a
large amount: perfect. They tasted great and I was satisfied. We took
the bowl to dinner and ordered everyone to eat some, as there was,
literally, blood, sweat, and tears in those potatoes. I received
compliments, and somehow the fact that Brian was slowly bleeding to
death seemed worth it. (I kid. Mostly.) There were leftovers and my mom
in particular loaded up a container with them, which made me puff up
with pride.</div>
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The
next morning, I crawled out of bed, went to the kitchen in search of
sustenance, saw the maple syrup…and realized something terrible. It was
mouldy. A thick, fuzzy-gelatinous carpet of mould was floating on the
top of the syrup. I think I thought it was frothiness, the day before
when I used it. I don’t know how I didn’t spot it. Brian had woken up
feeling a little sick, and suddenly I was terrified. I snuck into the
art room, shut the door, and called Mom. When she answered, I said,
“Mom, listen to me carefully. Don’t eat the potatoes.” She asked why,
and I told her. She scoffed and said not to worry about it, mould wasn’t
a big deal and no one was sick; why, she’d eaten a big helping of the
potatoes again for breakfast! I blanched, but pretended to find that
reassuring.<br />
<br />
<i>Author's note, one year later: no one ever did get sick off those potatoes, but this year I refused to be in charge of them. I'm making a quinoa salad, something I feel much more confident about. The whole family is coming to our house for the meal, but everything is being prepared by other people in their own kitchens. Wait...as I type this out, I suddenly wonder if maybe this is a ploy to stop me from poisoning everyone again...</i><br />
<br />
<i>Oh, well. At least I don't have to cook. Bring on the stuffing.</i> </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-11271916787398819202012-09-28T11:38:00.000-04:002012-09-28T17:07:00.534-04:00The NEST eats: Ottawa Farmers' Market, part I<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNpgjHAakpr54oVgDBWtqrcpuSgSMiNKToaSQggU6nbb185aeBnhwFa7E0QZ0iHO-GWi0jn3G6i4anHyXwB93IjTlCLVbQA56Z7cKi31Duj325RsBZ_2abAi70z5dSxpS25kEGcTLFnM/s1600/Ottawa-Farmers-Market-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNpgjHAakpr54oVgDBWtqrcpuSgSMiNKToaSQggU6nbb185aeBnhwFa7E0QZ0iHO-GWi0jn3G6i4anHyXwB93IjTlCLVbQA56Z7cKi31Duj325RsBZ_2abAi70z5dSxpS25kEGcTLFnM/s1600/Ottawa-Farmers-Market-logo.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ottawa Farmers' Market ROCKS.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Ottawa is a lucky city: we are surrounded and saturated with
fantastic farms, apiaries, sugar bushes, and countless culinary
artisans. It's the kind of city where you could conceivably eat
year-round without ever heading to a traditional grocery store, and
that's pretty impressive. Brian and I try to support local as much as
possible, but it's a learning process: you've gotta get out there and
discover what's available right in your own back yard! So when the
<a href="http://ottawafarmersmarket.ca/nc/vendors/" target="_blank">Ottawa Farmers' Market</a> showed up with a basket of goodies for us to try
out, we were thrilled to participate. This is part I of a two-part post
about the goodies we tried from the Ottawa Famers' Market.</div>
<div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">What is the Ottawa Farmers' Market? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">T</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">he
Ottawa Farmers’ Market has grown to over 100 vendors of the best
locally-grown and locally-made food, farm products, arts and crafts
within 100 kilometres of Ottawa. Now in Westboro, Brewer Park and
Orléans, the markets boast some of the City’s favourite artisans –
Pascale’s Ice Cream, Art-Is-In Bakery, Flatbread Pizza and the Hot
Potato Company, not to mention more Savour Ottawa certified growers than
any market. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ottawa
Farmers’ Markets promote healthy eating and the local farmers who feed
us. The markets support the local economy – farmers, chefs, crafts
people and entertainers – while providing the public with an opportunity
to get outside, learn about local food and culture, and to buy the
freshest, local products the season has to offer direct from the people
who produce it. </span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
Head to their website to find out locations and times, including their Brewer Park and Westboro spots! <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">EASY DINNER: CHEESE AND MEAT </span></span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">When
we opened up the package, our noses were assailed by a rather intense
burst of stinky feet smell. We were delighted to discover this was
emanating from two varieties of gorgeous cheese, made by <a href="http://glengarryfinecheese.com/" target="_blank">Glengarry Fine Cheeses</a>.
The first one we grabbed was the beautiful blue cheese; it turned out to
be a wonderful treat, very flavourful but not overpowering. I threw it
into a whole-wheat penne dish with olive oil, seared kale, and roasted
sunflower seeds--now posted, and titled <a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2012/09/penne-from-heaven-dead-easy-ottawa.html" target="_blank">Penne From Heaven</a>. The cheese was the star of the show; I
didn't even have to add any spices for this dish to have major flavour
impact. Mmmmmm!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
At
the last minute, I also ran out and grabbed the <a href="http://www.bearbrookfarm.com/" target="_blank">Bearbrook Farms Kolbassa</a> that the Farmers' Market had sent us. This stuff is amazing,
people. Its flavour was a cross between salami and ham, and the piquant
spicy flavours made me think of a late summer harvest. We tossed some
cubes of this into the pasta as well, and found ourselves rolling our
eyes in delightful pleasure as we chewed.</div>
<div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;">SWEETS AND SAVOURIES </span></h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">For
dessert, we basically ate jam off of spoons. I kid you not. How could
we resist, with four <a href="http://www.michaelsdolce.com/" target="_blank">Michaelsdolce </a>jams sent to us? We hadn't actually
had Michaelsdolce before, though we'd heard a lot about it, so as a jam
fanatic I was excited. Every flavour lived up to Michaelsdolce's
reputation for being clever, complex, and delightful. Here's a quick
rundown:</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Kiwi-lime: </span></span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">This
beautiful apple-green jam is sweet with a serious citrus kick. The tart
bite at the end reminded me of genuine key lime pie that I've had in
Key West. The jam was dessert-y, but also palette-cleansing. It reminded
us of a mojito, and if you ask nicely, we can provide you a recipe for
one using this jam. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Blueberry & lavender:</span></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">One
of my favourite things is lavender in food, and this jam wowed me. Made
with real Nova Scotian blueberries, this jam was so sweet, you can
literally taste the blue. The lavender flavour was subtle but created an
almost smokey taste, a bit like eukalyptus or rosemary. This jam is
light on the palette and calls for fresh scones. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Strawberry & Balsamic:</span></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">What
a jam! The balsamic is primarily evident in the aroma--and if you're
not take a good sniff before eating each of these jams, you're missing
half the show. The vinegar pairs with the strawberries to create an
almost rhubarb-like flavour. Brian suggested it would go well with pork,
so on a lark we tossed some on a slice of the Bearbrook Kolbassa, and
sure enough it was fantastic. I also think, though, that it'd spruce up a
bowl of vanilla bean ice cream in a very special way.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Citrus Ginger Marmalade:</span></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I
LOVE marmalade, and this one is definitely my new favourite. The simple
citrus aroma does nothing to prepare you for the bitter, kicky flavours
of orange pith, and the warm heat of the ginger. Brian said it called
for a bagel with cream cheese, but personally I'd eat it on a thin,
crispy slice of light rye bread.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBYukbwkcXK-W_th59oUX_5O1HB6qJGvGyhJFOrkUTTPxkjJ3jlWqWdK4dr16O9YNGDp6vy5PZenyzv1jafJnuYv55JxMiJ0_fA_-rsxaUBrpzl5jvsznbdIE4ilR73Ew6RwGqrdHizY/s1600/BLUE+CHEESE+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBYukbwkcXK-W_th59oUX_5O1HB6qJGvGyhJFOrkUTTPxkjJ3jlWqWdK4dr16O9YNGDp6vy5PZenyzv1jafJnuYv55JxMiJ0_fA_-rsxaUBrpzl5jvsznbdIE4ilR73Ew6RwGqrdHizY/s200/BLUE+CHEESE+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glengarry's blue cheese.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">MORE CHEESE, AND HONEY</span></span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
We
finished up our evening of fine home dining by devouring the Glengarry Fine Cheeses goat cheese and the honeycomb provided by <a href="http://ottawafarmersmarket.ca/nc/vendors/cat/sweets/" target="_blank">Halsall's Honey</a> at the
Ottawa Farmers' Market. Much to my surprise, the goat cheese was
actually the stinkier cheese of the two we tried, but the flavour was
quite lovely. It is a hard, more crumbly cheese with a mild but bitter
flavour, short on the palette but lots of flavour. At the suggestion of
Tara from the Market, we popped pieces of cheese into our mouths while
gnoshing on chunks of the incredible honeycomb, and the pairing was
superb.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahH3rD73h3eufSYH7DM68GeXOsPDrdlsm4F6hgVExQEVKXy2GSodpcl0T7nKJdmTtQKjtabGnvJGAJL2kq2l1eNRD3WLaH2d6xk7v2ocVRWPtxjp1v6GNykO-xu-RBbvEDslR3wHkk6E/s1600/HONEY+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahH3rD73h3eufSYH7DM68GeXOsPDrdlsm4F6hgVExQEVKXy2GSodpcl0T7nKJdmTtQKjtabGnvJGAJL2kq2l1eNRD3WLaH2d6xk7v2ocVRWPtxjp1v6GNykO-xu-RBbvEDslR3wHkk6E/s200/HONEY+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Let
me talk about that Halsall's honeycomb for a minute: I am still carefully,
lovingly, rationing it out. If you've never eaten honey straight from
the comb, I heartily recommend you try it, because it's always an
amazing taste sensation; but this particular honeycomb was really very excellent. I shared some at work, and the
response (from honeycomb virgins, no less) was always the same: this is
the freshest-tasting honey they've ever tasted. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Brian
suggested that a lovely picnic snack could be made of a fresh french
bread, a hunk of that goat cheese, and this fine honeycomb, paired very
nicely with an Indian Pale Ale or a Belgian Wit beer. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJt4QQhyzxr_Y4P0FAHqTboDAHysLWcDbpLOZJTYK7kN7sisURLMJXPyPv5IunQuyjhyphenhyphenMb-LZAXp-nkiVAnkcUX5_q8jeCJ8dvk1bP9GdUxHeuCNIycp6slAKxdhZILCtpDGV9zSvHB8/s1600/BOARD+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJt4QQhyzxr_Y4P0FAHqTboDAHysLWcDbpLOZJTYK7kN7sisURLMJXPyPv5IunQuyjhyphenhyphenMb-LZAXp-nkiVAnkcUX5_q8jeCJ8dvk1bP9GdUxHeuCNIycp6slAKxdhZILCtpDGV9zSvHB8/s200/BOARD+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Maybe the most stunning item in the basket of goodies we are reviewing is the cutting board, by <a href="http://www.jhframes.com/" target="_blank">Joseph Henri</a>. This beautiful piece of workmanship is what I used to create my Penne From Heaven meal, and we're leaving it on display in our kitchen. I love the idea of picking up one of these for a wedding gift or Christmas present for someone who takes pride in their cooking. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Part II is soon to follow, and includes some lovely personal care products, as well as dulce de leche, pickles, and grapes. Sounds like a perfect night in by myself, watching Pride & Prejudice and painting my toes. Stay tuned for more local awesomeness. Because nothing rocks more than our local artisans and farmers. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-10882516012204802632012-09-28T11:16:00.001-04:002012-09-28T11:16:40.314-04:00Penne From Heaven: Dead-Easy Ottawa Farmer's Market Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0zklq53mfe3NaJCySYYkm1Hn4j77GWS_r3Vgm_mMBlwQAsX30l3kkdwnd9wrwZpBY0N28k7CT-XxV0K9CDeStpmVmWyYdtnL6IuQF_k56Ob4fce9TKLBBs5hvPBXpiQFUVLxtVxR3YQ/s1600/PENNE1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0zklq53mfe3NaJCySYYkm1Hn4j77GWS_r3Vgm_mMBlwQAsX30l3kkdwnd9wrwZpBY0N28k7CT-XxV0K9CDeStpmVmWyYdtnL6IuQF_k56Ob4fce9TKLBBs5hvPBXpiQFUVLxtVxR3YQ/s320/PENNE1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We've been doing some exploring with the <a href="http://www.ottawafarmersmarket.ca/" target="_blank">Ottawa Farmers' Market</a>, and I
invented a new recipe with one of the lovely cheeses from <a href="http://glengarryfinecheese.com/" target="_blank">Glengarry Fine Cheese</a>
they gave to us. I wasn't strictly requested to make up a recipe, but I
had an idea and ran with it; the end result is something incredibly easy
but pretty impressive. Since I only started learning to cook about a
year ago, I have to say I'm pretty proud of this one. Give it a try.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;">BLUE CHEESE PENNE WITH KALE AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"> </span></div>
<div>
<b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">YOU WILL NEED:</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Blue cheese--we had this lovely hunk from <a href="http://glengarryfinecheese.com/" target="_blank">Glengarry Fine Cheese</a> at the Farmers' Market.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Kale--a bunch. I have no idea how to measure kale. I suggest it be totally dry. Ours was fresh from our garden!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Sunflower seeds--a big handful, maybe two. Hulled, unroasted, unsalted.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Penne--we went with whole wheat because, well, that's what I had.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Olive oil</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4el8L7VK8zDNgJW3G2lv0lm_PhwrLD01PeE5iF0xPoV33vHbR8ZvQa64SOPLHd4pP8Ia4t7gI3X71jbrg1nf-TShwTWPQPYzMXi3qkqgAV8ydcYMfVe2ifuxHLxoz8WwCWSfX0djog8s/s1600/BLUE+CHEESE+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4el8L7VK8zDNgJW3G2lv0lm_PhwrLD01PeE5iF0xPoV33vHbR8ZvQa64SOPLHd4pP8Ia4t7gI3X71jbrg1nf-TShwTWPQPYzMXi3qkqgAV8ydcYMfVe2ifuxHLxoz8WwCWSfX0djog8s/s200/BLUE+CHEESE+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that blue cheese!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">1. Boil water and throw in your penne when it's ready to go. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">2.
While the penne is boiling away, heat a non-stick pan to medium heat.
Toss in your sunflower seeds and swoosh 'em around with a spatula for a
very brief time. When they start to go toasty-coloured, decide if you
like the look of them, then immediately get them out of the pan before
they burn. I had to do this step twice because I waited too long and
burned the poor darlings.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
3.
The pan now has a little oil from the sunflower seeds in it, so that's
perfect for the kale: I tore the kale up with my hands into bite-size
pieces, and just threw it in a big mess into the pan, still on medium
heat. Regular flipping and stirring is important. The kale will wilt and
crisp a little. When you think it looks tasty, pour it out onto the
plate beside the sunflower seeds.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlxtThHDDaCRDnQtrATIS_mrK59LE5ndcmGp8Q234_YOFYZCvVTYn8tvnFs82piWKTLaiVjBk9PJrctF6kpE5uauWYVwjNV4OMzYUOc23H1PD2D4E_uhdbcxHUNkTQNoYuPTOkhJ2pe4/s1600/KALE+PAN1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlxtThHDDaCRDnQtrATIS_mrK59LE5ndcmGp8Q234_YOFYZCvVTYn8tvnFs82piWKTLaiVjBk9PJrctF6kpE5uauWYVwjNV4OMzYUOc23H1PD2D4E_uhdbcxHUNkTQNoYuPTOkhJ2pe4/s200/KALE+PAN1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">4. Crumble up your blue cheese. I only used about a half-cup, but I bet more would be even tastier. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">5.
When the penne is done, drain it and quickly throw it back into the
pot. Then quick as a flash, throw the seeds, the kale, and the cheese
into the pot, too. The cheese melts and sticks to everything, and the
kale and sunflowers get all mixed in. Add a tablespoon (or more, if you
want) to the mix to help things be tasty.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">OPTIONAL:
You can add spices. Since we were exploring the flavour of the blue
cheese, we decided not to. But I'm sure some rosemary and maybe some
lemon zest would have been fantastic.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyB3pQY8ddw2mN_L8FK2VQQeWKkMjH_FzwkY01gqpZHp7W5zjXJNd0_FMNjXMss72UnM7TQlBVC9Ip2ceGJgTBDOv08Xw95n_3gxym82ux8yTvEWko1BJNyDzqKhE4DW9JSLf8HTAk4I/s1600/INGREDIENTS1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyB3pQY8ddw2mN_L8FK2VQQeWKkMjH_FzwkY01gqpZHp7W5zjXJNd0_FMNjXMss72UnM7TQlBVC9Ip2ceGJgTBDOv08Xw95n_3gxym82ux8yTvEWko1BJNyDzqKhE4DW9JSLf8HTAk4I/s200/INGREDIENTS1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">OPTION
2: You can toss in some meat if you like, though it's not required. We
did add a bit of a <a href="http://www.bearbrookfarm.com/" target="_blank">Bearbrook Farms kolbassa</a> just to try it out, and it
was delicious. (The kolbassa is not to be missed and can also be grabbed
at the Ottawa Farmers' Market.)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Serve
and enjoy! Because the recipe is so simple, it's easy to make just
enough: measure your pasta as you always do, then just put in a
serving's worth, per person, of each other ingredient. Simple!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0zklq53mfe3NaJCySYYkm1Hn4j77GWS_r3Vgm_mMBlwQAsX30l3kkdwnd9wrwZpBY0N28k7CT-XxV0K9CDeStpmVmWyYdtnL6IuQF_k56Ob4fce9TKLBBs5hvPBXpiQFUVLxtVxR3YQ/s1600/PENNE1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0zklq53mfe3NaJCySYYkm1Hn4j77GWS_r3Vgm_mMBlwQAsX30l3kkdwnd9wrwZpBY0N28k7CT-XxV0K9CDeStpmVmWyYdtnL6IuQF_k56Ob4fce9TKLBBs5hvPBXpiQFUVLxtVxR3YQ/s200/PENNE1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">This
was so good that I took some to work and fed my vegetarian friend. We
both smelled like blue cheese all day and I couldn't have been happier. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-9905795522778363412012-09-21T18:56:00.000-04:002012-09-21T18:56:12.124-04:00The Selfish Childless: A Rebuttal<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A REBUTTAL FROM THE CHILDLESS </span></span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3ZJWX23_2uwMIrGW0mIJmJGgqJRNCKSgitGDhhAAVSCB9jyvj9LUtjKOw2xSzF22-qzJciRuCA1FJO4TcAJQlu8RfQezrh6V6ndKbz1doT38hv9w27ol0bCJsdHucOZwYxwIcSByZZM/s1600/joe+article+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3ZJWX23_2uwMIrGW0mIJmJGgqJRNCKSgitGDhhAAVSCB9jyvj9LUtjKOw2xSzF22-qzJciRuCA1FJO4TcAJQlu8RfQezrh6V6ndKbz1doT38hv9w27ol0bCJsdHucOZwYxwIcSByZZM/s320/joe+article+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My friend Karen Wilson over at <a href="http://karenschronicles.ca/" target="_blank">Karen'sChronicles</a> forwarded me an article by<a href="http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/19/joe-oconnor-selfishness-behind-growing-trend-for-couples-to-not-have-children/" target="_blank"> Joe O'Connor published in the National Post</a>, and we both were so gobsmacked by Joe's ridiculous remarks that we're
both writing responses. I suggest strongly that you read Joe's article first,
then read on from here.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe starts off his tirade by
titling it, 'Trend of Couples Not Having Children Just Plain Selfish.' Well,
naturally that's meant to elicit a reaction from the crowd, and I won't deny it
had me reading on pretty quickly. Joe is a parent who seems to be attempting to
describe the lives of DINKs (Double Income, No Kids) without actually having
talked to many of us. He repeatedly attempts to paint a picture of childless
couples as yoga-pants-wearing, lattee-sipping, Martha's-vineyarding,
yacht-club-faring bourgeoisie. It's a funny misconception compared to the
reality of my own life, where Friday nights aren't spent with a bottle of wine,
but with a rushed TV dinner after an hour-long bus commute while my husband
tries to glue back together the sofa leg that keeps coming off. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">PAINTING A FALSE PICTURE</span> </span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I'm not sure where Joe got this idea
that being childless means you've got scads of extra income. I figure having
kids is a bit like smoking: you find the money when you've got the need, but if
the need isn't there, the money isn't just lying around in coffers waiting for
you to buy your next Mazerati. Ridiculous, Joe, to paint an entire 40% of the
population with one giant gilded paintbrush--flattering, but absurd. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I also take great offence to his
suggestion that childless couples get to lounge around in their peignoirs on a
weeknight because they're not chasing toddlers around a hockey arena. I
might...might...have more time in a day than the average parent for throwing
myself down upon my fainting couch, but that's not how I choose to spend my
time. I have a blog--a secondary source of income, as well as a cornerstone of
my career growth--that requires my time. A family made up of aging parents,
younger siblings, and close friends with struggles. And a first house, which has
been a nightmare of time suckage from Day One. I know Joe would probably rebut
that parents have all these same issues going on, but still choose the saintly
path of procreation despite the odds against them; but I'd argue that knowing
your limits isn't a sign of selfishness, Joe. It's a sign of maturity.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">THE PRIME RELATIONSHIP DIRECTIVE? </span></span></h4>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe goes on to say, and I quote: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Having
children used to be the point of being a pair. It was the great aspiration —
along with finding love everlasting — a biological impulse to go forth and
multiply and, later, once your babies reached a certain age, to cajole them
about the merits and benefits of doing their bit to join the ranks of
parenthood while giving Mom and Dad some grandkids.</span></b></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDTOCYsflr9gg7A8rZF5biyKRupxDNVIh4qYK6AMSn1fn0Ga_lg0SaEaVhpMyREYpy_yDB03CYmKfxI04f2jJkIuuvb5TR2ayJN4SjATRCex2P6RLHlialNmeafP5hEAjICcvE-XXOng/s1600/couple1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDTOCYsflr9gg7A8rZF5biyKRupxDNVIh4qYK6AMSn1fn0Ga_lg0SaEaVhpMyREYpy_yDB03CYmKfxI04f2jJkIuuvb5TR2ayJN4SjATRCex2P6RLHlialNmeafP5hEAjICcvE-XXOng/s320/couple1.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wow, Joe. You just reduced all couplings
down to a biological imperative to procreate. I wonder how the same-sex couples
out there feel about your statement, because the math would show that you're
implying those couples don't even count--nevermind any hetero couples who
hooked up while knowing that one of them was infertile. Yes, I gotta say I was
pretty astounded with the Victorian-era mindset portrayed by this comment. Make
babies, Joe says, and if you're lucky, maybe find some love. Oh, and while
you're at it, bestow the same babymaking guilt upon the next generation--because,
as he later states, those kids and grandkids care for their elderly. (That's a
false Norman Rockwell scene you're painting, Joe.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My desire for marrying did not stem from
the need to find viable male seed. I married Brian because I wanted to have a
partner in life, someone with whom to experience the triumphs and the trials;
someone with whom to share reciprocal support and affection. Not someone who
was eager to get started on 6am little league practices.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">OTHER CHILDLESS CONSIDERATIONS </span></span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe does address some of the main concerns
that many of us DINKs have about childrearing: the cost, the time, the modern
careers that never allow for a work/life balance; these he dismisses with a
'suck it up, buttercup' wave of his hand. The reality is that we are indeed in
tough financial times, in a new world of employment with wild employer
expectations, and between time and money many of my friends are afraid to get a
goldfish, let alone a child. But Joe also eschews the very real concern some of
us DINKs have about overpopulation, stating, </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Flaky
fears about overburdening our already overburdened planet, personal choice and
a bunch of other hooey that serve to hide the fact that happy couples that
choose not to have kids are, at root, well, let’s see: selfish.</span></b></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwqK20Cc1QTomNIgRek3EUThed1SA6aY6RDYdHRKC2FeBa14SlHWMUrf80lbW-F_4hWF0ISeMGIcjtT48djgHHmg0ObSPRcQGGHYyLAfkzPf321GbQUyiTV5_Z0HLmJXMSWheAUl9eO0/s1600/kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwqK20Cc1QTomNIgRek3EUThed1SA6aY6RDYdHRKC2FeBa14SlHWMUrf80lbW-F_4hWF0ISeMGIcjtT48djgHHmg0ObSPRcQGGHYyLAfkzPf321GbQUyiTV5_Z0HLmJXMSWheAUl9eO0/s320/kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From my ten years' experience working
with underprivileged and street-involved youth, Joe, I can tell you that these
'flaky fears' about bringing more kids into the world are anything but. <i>Should</i>
Brian and I ever decide to parent, it will be as a foster or adoptive home for
one of these forgotten children. I don't see it as selfish not to create my own
genetic offspring; I see it as humble. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">SELFISH? <i>Riiiiiiight</i>.</span></span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But let's talk about selfish for a
moment. Perhaps, to someone who has been apparently embittered by watching, as
he describes them, "childless hipsters dancing through life", I look
selfish. I won't even begin my rant about the term 'hipster' and how it's
bandied about to describe any person under the age of 35 these days. But the
image he paints is clear: that being young, fertile, yet childless is
irresponsible and "selfish". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I think selfish, Joe, could be defined
as someone who would compel an entire swathe of the population to get breeding.
Selfish is seeing your childrearing struggles as the epitome of human
experience and martyrdom. Selfish is thinking that you have a right to
scathingly wax poetic about a lifestyle of which you have no concept. Selfish
is bringing a child into this world because you're told to attain that gold
star <a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2011/11/buns-in-oven-i-think-ill-just-bake.html" target="_blank">(something I've mentioned before</a>), when reflection might show that you're
not ready, not interested, or not built for parenting. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe goes on to quote one Monica Zeniuk,
a childless woman, as saying, </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
benefits of not having children are in the driveway, in our closet and stamped
on our passports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids are expensive.
And the marriage mortality rate is huge, without the added pressure of
financing a child through its life.”</span></b></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I don't disagree with Ms Zeniuk's
highlighted benefits of remaining childless; it's entirely possible that we
will travel more, drive a sports car, and have a longer marriage than some of
our childrearing friends. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But I personally have never considered
the financial benefits and leisure time as my priorities for choosing to remain
childless. I have, however, considered my life situation, my abilities and
wellness, and my lack of maternal interest...and these careful deliberations
have led me to understand myself in a way that cannot be judged. It is the
simple truth: I am childless because I will not birth a child just to meet a
standard. If that's selfish, then I proudly wear the label.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktCkXhaHSj4m9zarbJuHFsL0DhEEWJ631zFEGqoYtXEkFICISD_26qy_SyQSRTsLuKCINNNmr7zQ5tt0BwJ113EZ0WqIhPoq0IfKf2XZHzNkfbt76x_XYm1ud47FvAfCtmPvvo2gDekw/s1600/baby+propaganda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktCkXhaHSj4m9zarbJuHFsL0DhEEWJ631zFEGqoYtXEkFICISD_26qy_SyQSRTsLuKCINNNmr7zQ5tt0BwJ113EZ0WqIhPoq0IfKf2XZHzNkfbt76x_XYm1ud47FvAfCtmPvvo2gDekw/s320/baby+propaganda.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Just as I do not pass judgement on the
myriad complex reasons why people choose to have offspring, Joe, I encourage
you to also check your own biases and put down your gavel. In a time of mass
overpopulation and world hunger, the word 'selfish' here could be a stone
you're throwing within your own glass house. Your article reads like a piece of
mid-century war-era propaganda, and it's embarrassing more than it is
infuriating. We're no longer in an era where we need to produce a male heir,
stock our farm with kindred farmhands, nor replace the fallen soldiers in our
populace. There are plenty of people, and plenty of kids. You've found your
happiness and your bliss; leave us to find ours.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-70043435323821826732012-09-20T20:22:00.000-04:002012-09-20T21:30:59.027-04:00Frugal NESTing: MJ's Bedroom Makeover<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrj9wYaiHYyBJ7RiZQzpPttQNZ9T3piNhyphenhyphenkrD_IP1TQc6QK3tS8gHd1_-F9LVEwcJvF7q48dIRohW6I-q6RRQAoGMV5YtOFagKSdqfcWMQvGXHR5GNWpk8NBKx-ti-b-xuKA4i_TFcmM/s1600/Michelle+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrj9wYaiHYyBJ7RiZQzpPttQNZ9T3piNhyphenhyphenkrD_IP1TQc6QK3tS8gHd1_-F9LVEwcJvF7q48dIRohW6I-q6RRQAoGMV5YtOFagKSdqfcWMQvGXHR5GNWpk8NBKx-ti-b-xuKA4i_TFcmM/s200/Michelle+2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful BFF. And talented, too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>We have a special guest post today. My bestie, MJ, recently decided to paint her room, and I was blown away by her creativity on a very tight budget. When I saw the pictures and was blown away by the transformation, I begged her to write a post because we're so into frugal DIY projects here on the NEST. Without further ado, here's...</i><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;">MJ'S BEDROOM MAKEOVER</span></h4>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSK5JyJgRIa-lubXAtK-hurL0q5UkMSTU7ytJggm8CFi-ONvCGGARY-IcQnGYcI60EeZSdK2kWyqQo4409bt4QCwjSr_QSZkkp97a80YEo9-MJ_5vEZuTqS1a5l_lcMrtC_1juzTQdRU/s1600/before5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSK5JyJgRIa-lubXAtK-hurL0q5UkMSTU7ytJggm8CFi-ONvCGGARY-IcQnGYcI60EeZSdK2kWyqQo4409bt4QCwjSr_QSZkkp97a80YEo9-MJ_5vEZuTqS1a5l_lcMrtC_1juzTQdRU/s320/before5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BEFORE: ugly, ugly weird colour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I live in beautiful part of Toronto, filled with huge trees
and a big park right beside the townhouse where I rent a room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many trees that on the sunniest
of days I can always find plenty of shade to cool off in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a wonderous and amazing thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my room was painted a dark, dusty
rose kind of colour which a) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i>
maybe be a nice accent colour but not nice for four full walls and b) between
the colour and the glorious tree canopy meant that I needed a lamp on by 3pm
and if it’s a rainy day then all lights must be on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the days getting shorter the time to
paint was now!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJR9d9pp1gbbQxT8uLLmgdA6SmnRjRwPKJVPgAhwqSHy4JlapNPYyNih9RVqN9NHvMg4xekdfCRRipB5gVqFxORdCQM60G9dscFepNGNR-BPZrbNpO9wjlGL9fuY7443JMqKZX5SssIE/s1600/before1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJR9d9pp1gbbQxT8uLLmgdA6SmnRjRwPKJVPgAhwqSHy4JlapNPYyNih9RVqN9NHvMg4xekdfCRRipB5gVqFxORdCQM60G9dscFepNGNR-BPZrbNpO9wjlGL9fuY7443JMqKZX5SssIE/s320/before1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BEFORE: such a dark space.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The only thing
slowing me down was finances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took my
Darth Vader piggy bank and shook out all the quarters and loonies that I’d been
saving for the past two months and combined that with the last $20 in the
bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Armed with a $50 budget I headed
off to Home Depot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went straight to
the mis-tints hoping to score a usable colour that no one else had liked and
found a gallon of a decent leafy green for $9!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A nice green but again, not four full wall nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew covering the dark rose colour would be
challenging and I would need a lot of paint to cover it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hooray!! An 8L pail of white primer on sale
for $25!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grabbed a combo pack of
rollers, a tray and edging brush on my way to the cash and the total cost was
$50.79.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Score one for the savvy shopper!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZ17f17RRSwG5qQIZeI8wmv-zFdJF_y-DsA504M0XIlxONJ1Cksh8KBKRCOv9AlMACHUH3CqBe36rREP-VWNSQHNxCdjAWWnB9siNhA88HEuC_YnjVu_vrK1we4AzUpv8X3lwMdHH32Y/s1600/after3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZ17f17RRSwG5qQIZeI8wmv-zFdJF_y-DsA504M0XIlxONJ1Cksh8KBKRCOv9AlMACHUH3CqBe36rREP-VWNSQHNxCdjAWWnB9siNhA88HEuC_YnjVu_vrK1we4AzUpv8X3lwMdHH32Y/s320/after3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFTER! Bright, cheery, and matchy with the bedding!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got home, put half my furniture onto my
balcony and cramming everything else into my closets and began the
transformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember how I was a
super savvy shopper and was a mere 79 cents over budget?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know what happens to the savvy
shoppers who save by not buying a drop sheet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They flip a tray of white paint off the top of their entertainment unit
onto the dark blue rug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried using
harsh language to clean it up but weirdly that didn’t work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I scooped up as much as I could and threw a
towel over the rest and kept on going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn’t unflip the tray, it was what it was and momentum could not be lost!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6-PcXrBk_TtGGQvkJFxFbGFj_HC75jv5wfJpxTboHowBycnLbQ5tFvPCZief-6sfn5IaIxOYjDbCRcRcy7V4FHsUbozkPdp2oVlWun9rp84YFxJkp_ZyzEloYPrXNvLYeOesRsdKVeA/s1600/after4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6-PcXrBk_TtGGQvkJFxFbGFj_HC75jv5wfJpxTboHowBycnLbQ5tFvPCZief-6sfn5IaIxOYjDbCRcRcy7V4FHsUbozkPdp2oVlWun9rp84YFxJkp_ZyzEloYPrXNvLYeOesRsdKVeA/s320/after4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Two coats of
primer covered the white well enough to suit me until I find a colour I really
like and can afford to buy it (and a drop sheet) and I used the green for the
base-boards and trim on the closets. Well, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> do the trim on the closets. I saved<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>money by not buying tape either and after one
experimental square it’s clear that without it the transformation will resemble
a first grade art project.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnFliia6FeltJPw8R9PiXN2R6n-2akrUKBH-664GDv4rWLlOQRYeEKD_3nhuCksDNuediuqwKHot0SvMT6ebh0GGUMPnaTy4KtJHSr5NV3pme60ecBC5ROXA9ZHd5KS5bYpVzVb4YbCI/s1600/after6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnFliia6FeltJPw8R9PiXN2R6n-2akrUKBH-664GDv4rWLlOQRYeEKD_3nhuCksDNuediuqwKHot0SvMT6ebh0GGUMPnaTy4KtJHSr5NV3pme60ecBC5ROXA9ZHd5KS5bYpVzVb4YbCI/s320/after6.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>My room is %100
brighter and homier now and I even managed to create more space when
rearranging the furniture after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hung
up my guitar and a bit of art and now it feels like my own happy, cozy space.
Extra bonus in life is that my landlord is not even a bit mad about the carpet
and is changing it soon anyway. Yessssss!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>You can follow MJ on Twitter, though she doesn't say much, but when she does it's pretty profound. Kinda like Silent Bob. Find her at <a href="http://twitter.com/tinypiesrtarts" target="_blank">@tinypiesrtarts</a>. </i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-12261397604075330092012-09-18T11:06:00.000-04:002012-09-18T11:06:13.590-04:00Guest Post on Wellman Wilson!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-YMMR720YiwojON78ly5xp1FLTFcwhwe37cBZTfNd1ncOqYqJv2g5TRnSZGSJ_GPGn5HTUU0b6Ljzc8Oo2A_tyuSeo8d8qEQ1C49l_VGMTYKYK6jWddI7EuqhjryPMQ3JR1Z04WCqtc/s1600/jordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-YMMR720YiwojON78ly5xp1FLTFcwhwe37cBZTfNd1ncOqYqJv2g5TRnSZGSJ_GPGn5HTUU0b6Ljzc8Oo2A_tyuSeo8d8qEQ1C49l_VGMTYKYK6jWddI7EuqhjryPMQ3JR1Z04WCqtc/s320/jordan.jpg" width="180" /></a>So the brains behind <a href="http://wellmanwilson.com/" target="_blank">Wellman Wilson Consulting</a> have decided that I, Jordan, have some ideas about social media worth sharing. Fools.<br />
<br />
Anyway, they're having me guest-blog semi-regularly, and I'm up there today, with a post entitled: <a href="http://wellmanwilson.com/blog#.UFh3iK74JQ8" target="_blank">Why I'm Friends with George Takei: conscientious content sharing</a>. For those of you who love social media or want to understand it more, the WWC blog is <i>always</i> a great place to go--I do a lot of my own learning there--but now you can get more of me, too, as I wax eloquent, or at least, wax witty.<br />
<br />
See you there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-17376487708866293662012-09-17T16:46:00.002-04:002012-10-13T23:50:27.454-04:00Montreal for a Day: the NEST gets away from the nest.<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;">ALL WORK AND NO PLAY...</span></h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9cN7jgTEmtE5ACGosZniEXLoJUU-k8kJLlWXRIkMJgzk4iBUFtd_szg7hFyO3yO0Ai_JUg_8yuqaftjvZQOETZQllpDQeiZ9SVcIDr2ugwBOmyj4fX7aT0Ft3RxSZEB0uSNEUcrchBA/s1600/WINDOW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9cN7jgTEmtE5ACGosZniEXLoJUU-k8kJLlWXRIkMJgzk4iBUFtd_szg7hFyO3yO0Ai_JUg_8yuqaftjvZQOETZQllpDQeiZ9SVcIDr2ugwBOmyj4fX7aT0Ft3RxSZEB0uSNEUcrchBA/s320/WINDOW.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful churches in MTL!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The new house has been all-consuming. Any of you who read our blog
regularly already know this, of course, from reading many posts about
the escapades and adventures we've been on while trying to prepare our
nest. But there've been a couple of misadventures recently that showed
we were both reaching the end of our patience and coping skills.
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);">First
off: turns out that if I see even a drop of Brian's blood, I get faint
and start to gag--making me the worst First Responder ever and sorta a
bad wife, because all I can do is shout out the location of the bandaids
as I hang my head over a trashbin--and this is surprising because I
have never had trouble with blood, cuts, or grossness before. But maybe
more intriguing is that when Bri bumps his shin, stubs his toe, or hits
his head, I cannot <i>help</i> but snicker. I don't understand how my brain
works; why a gash on his thumb from a knife would make me puke, but a
bone-crunching whack with a hammer would make me giggle, is beyond me.
But there it is, and if it makes me an evil person, that's too bad
because the best I can do is stifle my laugh.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEdiVys03beK2WqZK6fVmOWUt4RHkz6NSkQ-R2ey8yT2FDmaoApNp9jKNeEOPAt5vwwoBYmk9tgfGStU-4vKGmrlcsp4i59vR5SircNv8leqlgN80VXNijKDZV9xYUJiSkiOlgURfK3k/s1600/DARCY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEdiVys03beK2WqZK6fVmOWUt4RHkz6NSkQ-R2ey8yT2FDmaoApNp9jKNeEOPAt5vwwoBYmk9tgfGStU-4vKGmrlcsp4i59vR5SircNv8leqlgN80VXNijKDZV9xYUJiSkiOlgURfK3k/s320/DARCY.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painty dog.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);">Secondly:
it's vitally important to step away from projects like house repairs
and GET OUT AROUND HUMANS. Brian works part time outside the house, but
his bookkeeping business is home-based, and so naturally he's been the
lead on some of the finishing touches on the house, like painting the
living and dining rooms. I came home on Wednesday to find him painting a
second coat on the dining room, and as we were talking, our pug Mr
Darcy sat down and leaned against the freshly-painted wall. Brian
hollered at him to get off, and with something akin to an eye-roll,
Darcy stood up and moved away from the wall. His back was now painted a
light buttery yellow, and the wall had a fur-textured patch the size of a
toddler. (Mr Darcy is large and fat, in case you're not familiar with
our pug dog.) Brian was livid about the texturized wall, and MJ, who I
was on the phone with, suggested he just pick Darcy up, and texture the
whole wall. "We'll call it 'pugging'," she added helpfully. When I
relayed the idea to Brian, he looked me, doubled over in mirth and just
raised on eyebrow. He then continued on with painting the room, pausing
only to kick Darcy out of the way a couple times.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);">BREAK TIME.</span></span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv7mhgIg01-CimcPbgGNfL7AQDSz6l9FOnl1eKe9jm1gO-n3FfTpBldoL8UtX4qOnxX8pUUN8SMyS3QpZcMXtjOz8fEKQaLNi7I8G2whngNdIqMofECJHPPHVp8_4rY0ts3ubkjPsxjA/s1600/BIODOME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv7mhgIg01-CimcPbgGNfL7AQDSz6l9FOnl1eKe9jm1gO-n3FfTpBldoL8UtX4qOnxX8pUUN8SMyS3QpZcMXtjOz8fEKQaLNi7I8G2whngNdIqMofECJHPPHVp8_4rY0ts3ubkjPsxjA/s320/BIODOME.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);">So
clearly we're all in need of a break, and I had the genius idea to spend
the day in Montreal. It's only a couple hours away, and it had a few
things I really wanted to see: the Biodome, a spot I love to visit; and
Ben, my friend-and-former-summer-<wbr></wbr>student who I miss keenly since he
headed back to school. Add in the Montreal Comicon, plus my friend Hal, and you've got enough incentive to make us pile into the car and head
down the road.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);">For
anyone out there working on an all-consuming project like a house, I
heartily recommend this type of adventure. The twelve hours we were away
refreshed us both and gave us lots of good memories to get through the
last of the house tasks. Now at least I can close my eyes and think of
penguins while Brian is bleeding from any number of various house
repair-related injuries. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);">Here are photos for your enjoyment; I'll let them do their own talking. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvtBVm_QCe6uzEWfYph4xEegJZ3LMYktoeVdwJXV15z3jJTgGha18O5Gu8on21Pnxy9m_YQTdNKiNzmYm7ki9Rv6yWaLEVtEPwHEzBbY8casqoNsbD6fUxTgEY5X9vr9ipxIABBvYIlk/s1600/PIRANHA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvtBVm_QCe6uzEWfYph4xEegJZ3LMYktoeVdwJXV15z3jJTgGha18O5Gu8on21Pnxy9m_YQTdNKiNzmYm7ki9Rv6yWaLEVtEPwHEzBbY8casqoNsbD6fUxTgEY5X9vr9ipxIABBvYIlk/s320/PIRANHA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJ2sshGKbf4YNxMZ3LKG07I-eirayWjLreZ5KsBSm6tCo8zj6_nFo8XJBLZzyS0KVPpxkVea4oFfnFGOX_SzjOhpkvQn_J-lbAZDdyvXW7kR3NeISc64jXvQnZw59LI9ALRvZYiwlYRc/s1600/BEN+JOR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJ2sshGKbf4YNxMZ3LKG07I-eirayWjLreZ5KsBSm6tCo8zj6_nFo8XJBLZzyS0KVPpxkVea4oFfnFGOX_SzjOhpkvQn_J-lbAZDdyvXW7kR3NeISc64jXvQnZw59LI9ALRvZYiwlYRc/s320/BEN+JOR.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi6XB3c8Izk32Ak6F8F40d7FpbjnTgoAENEqdxx3Rfnbcj931tZbmWx0x1ZthuXhRVXUyW03sDuOG7APC_gAETakAZTkLjfwvp_fRimmKaTaQgLl3rQoCk56dyJqm31c07IltwJrI3Ww/s1600/BEN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi6XB3c8Izk32Ak6F8F40d7FpbjnTgoAENEqdxx3Rfnbcj931tZbmWx0x1ZthuXhRVXUyW03sDuOG7APC_gAETakAZTkLjfwvp_fRimmKaTaQgLl3rQoCk56dyJqm31c07IltwJrI3Ww/s320/BEN.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluQXuUVNYiv_EQ860xscV6xq963VrGtNIh8_pmI5OHmarOjL0zaTixO8Ubje25CN6hKMz4jmmf-Eu5BOMts2L7BMRSSSxykou15iBcdNAApQFHu8muR5-Ul5wkKs5aqJZ9SINVEXOJXs/s1600/BIO2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluQXuUVNYiv_EQ860xscV6xq963VrGtNIh8_pmI5OHmarOjL0zaTixO8Ubje25CN6hKMz4jmmf-Eu5BOMts2L7BMRSSSxykou15iBcdNAApQFHu8muR5-Ul5wkKs5aqJZ9SINVEXOJXs/s320/BIO2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And Comicon...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0V9F5Vxd7Z6ucULXCYSjYJ9z1AeniVmzrzkE4rJvVNKxoatAMntwh21CUY1s8g0ih9ect54KJJ7goeKzn5pLS46ILaVmouvlIiyD-tmpEq6YhLa-mBhYU-5S_x98dL3R5PlDQU3e9rU/s1600/COMIC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0V9F5Vxd7Z6ucULXCYSjYJ9z1AeniVmzrzkE4rJvVNKxoatAMntwh21CUY1s8g0ih9ect54KJJ7goeKzn5pLS46ILaVmouvlIiyD-tmpEq6YhLa-mBhYU-5S_x98dL3R5PlDQU3e9rU/s320/COMIC1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weapons check. Hilarious.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzQOmp1272rSPZnepLqaUnpOkbyzytET8K3qZkVn6Feasr-BadkuAZfVoPhN74Netdzf3KuB3zD-88rDlbk3PPDRfiGnCRqy3IWQhHN5MeqVVGpBrKgcGxhU0cMmeSam200epjfQ7m4w/s1600/COMIC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzQOmp1272rSPZnepLqaUnpOkbyzytET8K3qZkVn6Feasr-BadkuAZfVoPhN74Netdzf3KuB3zD-88rDlbk3PPDRfiGnCRqy3IWQhHN5MeqVVGpBrKgcGxhU0cMmeSam200epjfQ7m4w/s320/COMIC2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone needs comics.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg2cv20B-YHP3sIPJEVcQiHE_lr5aNnkj6nr_91dpcTfukPu2-By-tpZHqoVcZPNk0C7p2HmqbivIdEtDzK3BdMqtD8pJZ7Sz0gWwpMiieeECBXk5cqEhaYanDXnJ68e0pB2XExFekxY/s1600/COMIC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg2cv20B-YHP3sIPJEVcQiHE_lr5aNnkj6nr_91dpcTfukPu2-By-tpZHqoVcZPNk0C7p2HmqbivIdEtDzK3BdMqtD8pJZ7Sz0gWwpMiieeECBXk5cqEhaYanDXnJ68e0pB2XExFekxY/s320/COMIC3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tank Girl, because she's awesome.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5ZBdxJwLc_mqUrU7vEWW4omK6vMZyHOH2O6nVbqT8xeFKvp1-m6y3A_3RcVKjwT5UcyJvvqor0Yebx_f3vT1ADtBn2gDwVMLeQikdUQZ8kVTJpmrYcN5asTvcaWTy-RVDW4-nYDIwe4/s1600/COMIC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5ZBdxJwLc_mqUrU7vEWW4omK6vMZyHOH2O6nVbqT8xeFKvp1-m6y3A_3RcVKjwT5UcyJvvqor0Yebx_f3vT1ADtBn2gDwVMLeQikdUQZ8kVTJpmrYcN5asTvcaWTy-RVDW4-nYDIwe4/s320/COMIC4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Flash waits for his date outside the ladies' room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyseO10S2mcQSUvd7QP_Bpt-Hs9ZFgTIidQr58eicvGCbLb72hniyDKJAv5eB_bk1DlXuH-2ILfPCt5R4kCqTWk4OlBUGmdv6M3bCjGlHfvgYW7TvT0Z4l2Amrl5PVG1n7rH2lnuzYjOA/s1600/COMIC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyseO10S2mcQSUvd7QP_Bpt-Hs9ZFgTIidQr58eicvGCbLb72hniyDKJAv5eB_bk1DlXuH-2ILfPCt5R4kCqTWk4OlBUGmdv6M3bCjGlHfvgYW7TvT0Z4l2Amrl5PVG1n7rH2lnuzYjOA/s320/COMIC5.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHb9ZHgHWtGND0VV9G02OVb5-9oTKpFl5gJtox8kEHz9Sei8StZLOoiP6fdTf2Pg9xzcEACl_iPMd7SdX1VfPo2wYpd7oUDPPTmmsMpMUo1XdGa3HtLhHh69UBnPYlE5Y2IgYD3UQq7o/s1600/COMIC6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHb9ZHgHWtGND0VV9G02OVb5-9oTKpFl5gJtox8kEHz9Sei8StZLOoiP6fdTf2Pg9xzcEACl_iPMd7SdX1VfPo2wYpd7oUDPPTmmsMpMUo1XdGa3HtLhHh69UBnPYlE5Y2IgYD3UQq7o/s320/COMIC6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMMn7xQqljAtAIm23m1K0kecWXktfPXgAcbES6xQxZ14yoxQQ6SuIfPsLhHYmAZ_jy3W8wqNhfA2n6Hf6A7QCZHMdVJKxQHH2j1Xp_q2Zw4HlWE6qSeH1bptZ1wKscnHp9tl0JiP5j78/s1600/COMIC7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMMn7xQqljAtAIm23m1K0kecWXktfPXgAcbES6xQxZ14yoxQQ6SuIfPsLhHYmAZ_jy3W8wqNhfA2n6Hf6A7QCZHMdVJKxQHH2j1Xp_q2Zw4HlWE6qSeH1bptZ1wKscnHp9tl0JiP5j78/s320/COMIC7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBR31nX6LpDGuKzreSKGytksJD5CGQwD1uA4NtUf_vvkM0mcXP5VtF5-5H3IBVPYDvxYrR_KhpkyUaRPXgn-AYxFQU-QVUuKuHWGX4GjbsYpBJa5ZsFLYQzR74r22K0uWgPOJELUFfk8/s1600/COMIC8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBR31nX6LpDGuKzreSKGytksJD5CGQwD1uA4NtUf_vvkM0mcXP5VtF5-5H3IBVPYDvxYrR_KhpkyUaRPXgn-AYxFQU-QVUuKuHWGX4GjbsYpBJa5ZsFLYQzR74r22K0uWgPOJELUFfk8/s320/COMIC8.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, that's Brent Spiner--Data from Star Trek.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3tCcPOGygApwB12bV90uqXEnQQMvFHwFFXVur5QgjRaSBd6quLI-q7kwZwRXijHsH0UAAXoSZpnX4imJXoVZ-IVnMEFOojZeRCZyU1tXwn2rWKFFkCLPc5Byfo2bsCInPXKw7ivr_u8/s1600/COMIC9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3tCcPOGygApwB12bV90uqXEnQQMvFHwFFXVur5QgjRaSBd6quLI-q7kwZwRXijHsH0UAAXoSZpnX4imJXoVZ-IVnMEFOojZeRCZyU1tXwn2rWKFFkCLPc5Byfo2bsCInPXKw7ivr_u8/s320/COMIC9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malcom McDowell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3V5PvyBGFfbKPrnUATmwzo9E445Kk8-iB1J2XybfoA0WTWw47MUPgiCluupyt4HYwEtG_sO6cK2gzKlhUeYDkTvM8SIMqh86ARqJIlxglroOFPW57dlY_pIHVojhabgl49c9Kd_ZTAM/s1600/COMIC10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3V5PvyBGFfbKPrnUATmwzo9E445Kk8-iB1J2XybfoA0WTWw47MUPgiCluupyt4HYwEtG_sO6cK2gzKlhUeYDkTvM8SIMqh86ARqJIlxglroOFPW57dlY_pIHVojhabgl49c9Kd_ZTAM/s320/COMIC10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Starfleet captains need to stop for nourishment. Not from a replicator, this time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-8416425628483704742012-09-11T11:38:00.000-04:002012-09-11T11:38:15.201-04:00From Points B to A: a bra misadventure<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrg.bz/VWasQK" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://mrg.bz/VWasQK" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What happened to simple underthings???</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I decided this past
weekend that it was time to embark on one of my most hated purchasing ventures:
bra shopping. Oh, I see the pretty magazines where Victoria’s Secret models
prance around and tell me how incredible my bust will look when I put on one of
their cheetah-printed numbers; but generally I’m into a less fussy set of
underthings...and I am so freaking tired of everyone offering to push my girls
up, spread them apart, or pull them together. All I’m really looking for is an
easy-to-wear, padding-free bra that embraces my boobs gently, tucking them into
place and otherwise leaving them be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Unfortunately, the current
trend in bra fashions means that I’ve been wearing foam-cupped contraptions for
the past couple years, because the non-foamy choices generally are ugly things.
The message is: if you don’t want your bust lifted and enhanced, then you must
just want them swaddled tight against your chest in a sea of taupe polyester. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Consequently, I have
held onto the few bras I do like, well beyond their recommended life span. It
was around Wednesday last week that I realized this might need to be remedied.
I was pulling on a rather hot little skirt for work, and Brian made a comment
about how good I was looking...and then we both kinda looked at my unravelling,
once-white, pilling cotton bra, and I said, “I’m going shopping.” Because it’s
just way too early in this marriage for the bad underwear to start.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jJsVlosIt-9t9XtdBCTGg7ttKuu-0LO1KGh047ZQa4AyzXp-WH3mSECcwGPUJpE9ENRq8krPdffa2qzriNuhql5NpYv3jO7LDVYRaUROdPJqzFvmtBa-NPjKMzs1C5XmusLjWinb7AQ/s1600/bar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jJsVlosIt-9t9XtdBCTGg7ttKuu-0LO1KGh047ZQa4AyzXp-WH3mSECcwGPUJpE9ENRq8krPdffa2qzriNuhql5NpYv3jO7LDVYRaUROdPJqzFvmtBa-NPjKMzs1C5XmusLjWinb7AQ/s320/bar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, sexy taupe, wide straps...rowr. (Sigh.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">So I headed out to the
mall, and I went to a certain nationwide department store where they have a ton
of bras and brands. I figured this was a good place to start: lots of options,
lots of choices. Surely I would accomplish my goal of finding some non-foam,
non-padded, moderately-cute bras. Surely this couldn’t be too hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I wrangled a saleslady
into helping me, because as I wandered through the aisles I found my pulse
racing and my palms getting sweaty; there were just too many options, and I
couldn’t figure out what to try. Not to mention, I haven’t been sized in a
really long time, and lately I wondered if maybe I’d lost a bit
of...cushion...in the chest department. After explaining what I was looking
for, the saleswoman approved the choices I’d pulled out, then sent me into the
changeroom. I stripped off my top layers, pulled on a cute plaid number, stood
up, and realized that I have, indeed, lost some volume in the bust area. The
B-cup sat on my boobs like a pair of deflated parachutes, loose and wobbly. I
sighed and asked the woman for some help.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">She peeked into the
room, tugged at the straps, and said, “Well the problem is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you’ve got nothing there.</i>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Yeah, thanks, lady.
Saturday afternoon, in a busy changeroom, and you’ve just announced that there’s
nothing there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlFut_T9qsqvCVWVbQIInKQYZczLCWirQxEWgLbWv-mY5a7ylOfJparfRtrwOsGkWfhftrt5tZodlahG4vdg7Xj_VJvr8KGW64-GCoTVnBNU-NBJ1c-k4SOO4WfwttFacZxZpDlBs-iY/s1600/bar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlFut_T9qsqvCVWVbQIInKQYZczLCWirQxEWgLbWv-mY5a7ylOfJparfRtrwOsGkWfhftrt5tZodlahG4vdg7Xj_VJvr8KGW64-GCoTVnBNU-NBJ1c-k4SOO4WfwttFacZxZpDlBs-iY/s320/bar2.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit: Ambro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">This shouldn’t bother
me. I had a breast reduction five years ago—dropping from a DD to a small B,
much to the relief of my nerve-damaged back and shoulders—but there was
something about the way that she announced my breasts as the problem that just
really made my stomach churn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I stood there in that
saggy bra and demanded she find me an A-cup, as this was clearly what needed to
happen. If I’d discovered my reduced cup size on any other day, in any other
situation, I honestly wouldn’t be bothered by it at all; but now I felt
vulnerable, cold, and a little naked. Oh, wait...maybe because, you know, I
wasn’t wearing a shirt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The lady went and
looked, and came back to inform me that there were no A-cups out there for my
size, in the style of light little bras that I wanted. I thanked her, got
dressed, and went to exit; but she seemed to develop a sudden sense of sympathy
and instead of letting me leave, she made another suggestion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“You know,” she said, ”Probably
what you should be doing is shopping in the little girl’s section. Go
downstairs, and see if they have your size there. It’s probably the best you
can do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I stared at her
open-mouthed, then walked away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And at the last
minute, I turned into the little girls’ section.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x7Iok9CjW32xgrnbwM-uRrJMt86mrHNT125DF_c4JtzTwMOwzFU705H1gIlXEqRppic3NOIIkzgXA0wvkD8m969JqC7lmDNKmtbG9C3qBMsClVfFlI0d3WrWoAPlNOG5G7AYFK5PH0I/s1600/bar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x7Iok9CjW32xgrnbwM-uRrJMt86mrHNT125DF_c4JtzTwMOwzFU705H1gIlXEqRppic3NOIIkzgXA0wvkD8m969JqC7lmDNKmtbG9C3qBMsClVfFlI0d3WrWoAPlNOG5G7AYFK5PH0I/s200/bar3.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dream, not the reality.<br />credit: Charisma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">With burning cheeks, I
checked, and yes: they had my size. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The punchline? All the
little girl bras were padded, too. Don’t get me started on messed up I think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I left the mall an
hour later with some bust-enhancing foamy bras from a different shop in the
mall. I wish I’d found what I was looking for, but in the end these bras are
fine and maybe helpful, now that I’ve ‘got nothing there’. You can’t always get
what you want...but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">After this escapade,
what I<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> really</i> needed was a stiff
drink.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-25912247370845123672012-09-05T21:08:00.001-04:002012-09-05T21:08:52.278-04:00Home, Sweet Home. And hives. Lots of hives.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIk0hMQbNYC5NitCsNqK9F07LMi9-A42n-vJ9qKfRdqeg10NwC2N2S8vrx2oqh5FVtZ6b1c7VI9cmfTaKKkBP6HLYylCkt48U4RmS_SnApd7wGNHdzCkYu0c6ve8veJPUGvhq9zprYUA/s1600/blue+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIk0hMQbNYC5NitCsNqK9F07LMi9-A42n-vJ9qKfRdqeg10NwC2N2S8vrx2oqh5FVtZ6b1c7VI9cmfTaKKkBP6HLYylCkt48U4RmS_SnApd7wGNHdzCkYu0c6ve8veJPUGvhq9zprYUA/s320/blue+kitchen.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new beautiful kitchen. See our<br />clever pegboard backsplash? :)</td></tr>
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We have moved into the new house. I had no idea it would be
this much work and this much time. I haven’t written a word in days, and if I
never see another cardboard box again, it will be too soon.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We woke up that first morning in the new house to a gorgeous
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You see, in our old place the bedroom was in the attic and the windows were
tiny, and you had to become super-sensitive to sunlight or you’d never know it
was morning. Here, the window is huge and is right beside the bed. We look out
on trees and a park. It is heaven.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Not a single bat has flown at me in the time we’ve been
here. They are almost suspiciously absent from our lives. It reminds me of the time
I got rid of a really bad roommate, but then still found I missed them a
little.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Brian is dead tired and I suppose I am, too, but it feels
good. We’re only half unpacked and I don’t even care. Well, except I’d really
like some curtains, because living at ground level for the first time in years
has reminded me that people can see you in your skivvies when you’re getting
breakfast together in the morning. Oops.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold, my hivey legs.</td></tr>
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It hasn’t been smooth. I woke up on the first morning here
with hives all over me. I looked like a little kid with chicken pox, frankly.
It wasn’t attractive, and it took us two days to figure out that it was the
construction dust doing it to me. Brian had to clean the house from top to
bottom while my mother washed all my linens. The reaction has ceased but has
left me with red splotches that I hope will heal nicely. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But so far, I am thrilled with the house. No, not the
neighbours, and no, not the commute…but the house is lovely, feels huge, and
ohhhhh, that sunshine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a tiny sliver of ‘happily ever after’, so I’m going
to leave this post just as it is. For now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcZHsVcCncdlSX7eLaoSgrNFWJxVUaIO_jmFtU4fbzybmWwxm_czJWYU0lHDwkoybO0eavJTmVAbilae6HhCul1I0RhwjylfVJdF3H6buMNXp5AqxoVPSpqU4OvB7nt6D-9LfBKo5Dho/s1600/new+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcZHsVcCncdlSX7eLaoSgrNFWJxVUaIO_jmFtU4fbzybmWwxm_czJWYU0lHDwkoybO0eavJTmVAbilae6HhCul1I0RhwjylfVJdF3H6buMNXp5AqxoVPSpqU4OvB7nt6D-9LfBKo5Dho/s320/new+bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunshiney happy bed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-31576938657192905272012-08-26T16:47:00.003-04:002012-08-26T16:49:25.893-04:00From Trails to Treadmills: transitioning to winter athletics<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73AB8XWi6R27pwzHb5P8cDak9jiQGAZRNmnyT67RuILt48GTZLMfh28yQyqebyZaj2VmbxxsjTKUFZ1cFq7qAVBF5F4gFenXw03yv3u2qtSEu2V1iLZ6VMVge-6MduDjAmUAXXGnEnBE/s1600/outdoor+pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73AB8XWi6R27pwzHb5P8cDak9jiQGAZRNmnyT67RuILt48GTZLMfh28yQyqebyZaj2VmbxxsjTKUFZ1cFq7qAVBF5F4gFenXw03yv3u2qtSEu2V1iLZ6VMVge-6MduDjAmUAXXGnEnBE/s1600/outdoor+pool.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Soloway JCC outdoor pool, open til the weather changes!</td></tr>
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<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #38761d;">FROM SUMMER SPORTS TO WINTER FITNESS </span></h4>
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Summer is quickly transitioning into fall—for those of us in
the drought-stricken areas, a break from the heat actually sounds good about
now—and Brian and I have been talking about what sports we’re going to get back
into once the sun starts setting earlier and sweaters become mandatory. As two
active sorts of people, we started talking about the unsteady transition that
can happen when someone stops summer sports and picks up cold-weather ones.
Luckily, our friends at the<a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2012/05/soloway-jcc-meet-our-new-patron-and.html" target="_blank"> Soloway Jewish Community Centre</a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--> had some handy
advice, and we’re sharing it with you all. Soloway's Fall/Winter activity guide is available now, and you can access it on their <a href="http://jccottawa.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. There are lots of new programs for all ages and interests, like fun after-school programs for kids, fitness classes, and adult
programs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ryan Armitage is the Fitness Centre Manager at the SJCC. We’ve<a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2012/05/soloway-jcc-meet-our-new-patron-and.html" target="_blank">talked before about the awesome fitness facilities</a> at the centre, and another
great thing about the place is the knowledgeable fitness staff. We interviewed
Ryan and got some tips for those of you who will be transitioning into winter
sports as the season changes…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-weight: normal;">
NEST: As people get off of vacation and get back into indoor
fitness, what are some of the pitfalls or mistakes that they make? (Ie wrong
equipment, overdoing it, etc)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcdnXHmO_HlqJt7GmzgIOEuU7Z2MO1qlg5hZZsDnA0QDZ98rtONLW6N3ExswxetTSxRZtKM4Rpd6xgYDgeMjnPDW6lE7BM1ig95wQhpynYTCbLqXEpV7-4kak-2otwgVKBGeTNfF9CxQ/s1600/AT+Pics+-+Jan+2012+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcdnXHmO_HlqJt7GmzgIOEuU7Z2MO1qlg5hZZsDnA0QDZ98rtONLW6N3ExswxetTSxRZtKM4Rpd6xgYDgeMjnPDW6lE7BM1ig95wQhpynYTCbLqXEpV7-4kak-2otwgVKBGeTNfF9CxQ/s1600/AT+Pics+-+Jan+2012+076.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RYAN: Overdoing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it
seems to be the main culprit for those coming back from exercising outdoors to
indoors. When our bodies recondition to different aspects of fitness, it is
sometimes difficult to readjust back to our old routines. The good thing is
that our muscles remember the things we were doing before so there’s no need to
panic; you will get back to where you were in no time. It is important to ease
into your old routine while returning. I recommend asking a fitness
professional to check over your form and make sure that any bad habits are
rectified so you can continue with an effective yet safe routine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-weight: normal;">
NEST: What kinds of things can winter athletes be doing now
to prepare for the snowy season?</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RYAN: Depending on which winter activity you are preparing
for, there is always a wide range of exercises that can be done to maximize
your preparation for the winter season. A nice mix of functional exercises
targeted specifically to the muscle groups you will be using for the activity
is the best way to both improve your conditioning and keep your workouts
challenging and interesting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d;">
NEST: As we head into the autumn, our food availability (and
traditions, like Thanksgiving) start to change. Any tips on autumn nutrition? </h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6nAlxYkrRcAIr7o0Bqwa6vJBM86Soi3VIDA62EidIB9qsX-fksMzfwYrqt-HrQi2nPZZGOoWqHxortnvETD7_Rk4W3ryxLPdKSQHVWTs48j9-X0A3Vgwpxu1q5Quf254092bp0uZmUQ/s1600/AT+Pics+-+Jan+2012+362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6nAlxYkrRcAIr7o0Bqwa6vJBM86Soi3VIDA62EidIB9qsX-fksMzfwYrqt-HrQi2nPZZGOoWqHxortnvETD7_Rk4W3ryxLPdKSQHVWTs48j9-X0A3Vgwpxu1q5Quf254092bp0uZmUQ/s1600/AT+Pics+-+Jan+2012+362.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RYAN: It is important that we are still getting a wide
variety of nutrients to help the body with reparation and preparation. As the
seasons change, certain foods are scarce so it is important to find healthy
alternatives to these foods. If you need assistance in determining which foods
might be a healthy equivalent to those you were always consuming, I would speak
to either a fitness professional or nutritionist to make sure you are taking in
the healthiest and most effective foods to fuel your body. As we near the
holiday season, portion size is the main culprit to our holiday eating woes. It
is very easy to go for seconds and thirds and over-consume the calorie intake
that is necessary. It is also important to watch out for liquid calories,
alcohol being the main culprit. High calorie liquids don't fill you up as much,
and the lack of feeling full can quickly escalate our caloric intake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d;">
NEST: How do people successfully manage a fitness regime
once the fall starts and schedules seems so much tighter? </h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RYAN: There is a large misconception that the longer you
exercise, the more benefit you are getting. A lot of research is showing that a
more intense, shorter duration workout can burn as much or more calories as a
longer medium intensity workout. It is important to put aside some time in your
day to dedicate to yourself for not only health of the body but mind as well
and get as much "bang for your buck" as possible if you are strapped
for time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d;">
NEST: If people are interested in starting a new fitness
plan or a new sport, who can they talk to at the centre and how do they connect
with them? </h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx49BM34OypZ2l2-A6alWsGj_G0-9tVns34LC4wbso-x_qa-awcgsteIFlOO6elX04xdKatlrOkrzkfuWFjCUHVxWwk6s3gvyNLfZCT0dgjB5WhDgSfo7vb4RL2mSLbnZSuVhS9-Ysuto/s1600/Shaughnessy+Photography+4542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx49BM34OypZ2l2-A6alWsGj_G0-9tVns34LC4wbso-x_qa-awcgsteIFlOO6elX04xdKatlrOkrzkfuWFjCUHVxWwk6s3gvyNLfZCT0dgjB5WhDgSfo7vb4RL2mSLbnZSuVhS9-Ysuto/s1600/Shaughnessy+Photography+4542.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soloway has an indoor saltwater pool. It's awesome.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RYAN: You can either contact me (Ryan Armitage) in the
fitness center or our Health and Wellness Director Carla Gencher. We would be
happy to set you up with an orientation to learn the new equipment and set you
up on a routine. We also have personal trainers that can assist you with any
sport specific routines.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A big thanks to Ryan and the Soloway Jewish Community Centre
for this great advice. Brian is talking about getting back into cross-country
skiing this season, while I plan on getting back into weights and other
activities done in the warmth of the gym. Either way, it’ll be a transition
from rollerskating and yoga in the park, and with this great advice, it’ll
hopefully be a smooth one.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPimjuFxy9pI-Ta45RS5RCLrDUGTjYXlIHLcqc-xZj4fKdCCUfTW5nyr1od2vrsGXW8g_Zcdjcl03ABsFNJcyYZIgMWolwhl4No60Gj2KqFfFjEWldEmBg02buS6sElT3tOg8FnxAD2E/s1600/sjcc_logo_fall2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPimjuFxy9pI-Ta45RS5RCLrDUGTjYXlIHLcqc-xZj4fKdCCUfTW5nyr1od2vrsGXW8g_Zcdjcl03ABsFNJcyYZIgMWolwhl4No60Gj2KqFfFjEWldEmBg02buS6sElT3tOg8FnxAD2E/s1600/sjcc_logo_fall2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you're thinking of joining the SJCC, they now have online registration. Members should have their
membership card, as well as their credit card handy to go online and register starting from Monday August 13th. Non-Members could start registering starting on August 20th, 2012. All programs at the Soloway JCC are open to everyone. And a bonus: Joining the Soloway JCC during the month of September can save you money on an annual membership and personal training--so don't put off your goals 'til New Years resolution time; take the next step now for better wellness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-26701200736140969742012-08-22T10:15:00.000-04:002012-08-22T10:16:33.998-04:00Happy Anniversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_J9M_1rziiwNPYsTaqeuObSvCCzTT0hwlALofnBsXkJEtIbUYYXqgx1ZBBFFuvQJcNo3PAUob21cTrB1VFuA-4J-FZiNndHIClSbK_a6gWn_NZrYfFS34awB2qZpbNmc1F2rFXF__oxT/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_J9M_1rziiwNPYsTaqeuObSvCCzTT0hwlALofnBsXkJEtIbUYYXqgx1ZBBFFuvQJcNo3PAUob21cTrB1VFuA-4J-FZiNndHIClSbK_a6gWn_NZrYfFS34awB2qZpbNmc1F2rFXF__oxT/s320/28.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photosbyadampap.com/" target="_blank">Adam Pap Photography</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyvI0pyI6SbClt-TX6rHDeumvDwtAn1fh1TBkF4GtvcUx02NA-FNgtV1bMmi3_jtUtiYUb2cE4UQSNvx7gKOkpHuqrr2z_ftKNN_4NunWFAxEW9X9RRejLkxIQFqsPkMVz3mGM_RBO_re/s1600/PP+Wedding+Sneak+Peak-77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
One year ago today, Brian and I got married.<br />
<br />
365 days later, everyone's still alive and breathing, and likes each other, even.<br />
<br />
There may be some of you who don't know about Project: Priceless, the free wedding experiment: in short, we planned our wedding over ten months, and we did it as free-of-charge as possible; seriously, <a href="http://projectpriceless.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">check out the Project: Priceless blog</a> if you haven't before. What started out as a request to family for old decorations turned into an outpouring of support from strangers and businesses alike. We had the time of our lives meeting new people and promoting a lot of independent business, and best of all, we used social media to do it. On our big day, we were surrounded by friends, family, and tons of the people who helped out with the wedding...and yes, a handful of bloggers, too. We had a hashtag -- #ppwedding -- for people to live tweet the whole day.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlmt8Rb_unas536eDN8LQjZJ6FJi89BO1wEXX3tEMJDiIkguovCU_pcCxok93RF5VCoSKC8_8jtGem1fovxlXvPejmuuOlJ2EKHUMG2Hl027igjyUXVpoBKTk9XCuddaTWjj6D6oNKFRX/s1600/_MG_5556-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlmt8Rb_unas536eDN8LQjZJ6FJi89BO1wEXX3tEMJDiIkguovCU_pcCxok93RF5VCoSKC8_8jtGem1fovxlXvPejmuuOlJ2EKHUMG2Hl027igjyUXVpoBKTk9XCuddaTWjj6D6oNKFRX/s320/_MG_5556-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photosbyadampap.com/" target="_blank">Adam Pap Photography</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That one beautiful day, Brian and I felt so overwhelmed with love and kindness. We had each other, and just as amazing, we had a community brought together through a crazy little wedding blog. And you know, we still feel that love and connection with so many of the people from our project. (If you want the rundown on the wedding project, <a href="http://youtu.be/51_rnlbchgE" target="_blank">watch this video</a>.) <br />
<br />
I am, naturally, thinking many big thoughts today. Mostly, I'm thinking about how lucky I am, for many reasons and because of many people, but certainly because a special person named Brian agreed to love me forever. <br />
<br />
Here's a little montage from our wedding videographers, <a href="http://www.bytownvideoproductions.com/" target="_blank">Bytown Productions</a>. Celebrate with us today: lavish a loved one with a much sweetness as you can.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/phKP_4VMtsM" width="420"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-17973109740494718672012-08-20T07:25:00.002-04:002012-08-20T07:25:52.320-04:00Building the Nest: Repairs and twitchy eyes
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may be wondering why we haven’t updated the blog in a
week. (If you didn’t notice, then you’re not here enough.) It’s rare for us to
get so busy that no posts go up, but hear me out: this is the order of events
that happened between last week and this one:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SUNDAY:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jordan and Brian go back to the apartment to sleep after a
long day of working on the new house. Jordan steps into the bedroom and
immediately throws herself onto the ground in an evasive manoeuvre as <a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2012/05/bats-in-attic-not-always-metaphor.html">yet
another bat</a> dive-bombs her from above. After Jordan crawls backwards down
the stairs, Brian startles the bat into the office and shuts the door. Bags are
quickly packed and Jordan and Brian sleep at Jordan’s parents’ house.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MONDAY:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpOUvETW_jV-4rNhT-DudkeuFXKm-areDeimtYItL1xeV2hP5qgcF1eipr06ERooW7nTixRpmdZhD177r8Zp7C3L0YHA80d8aexTGz6xudvTrNnscSKbwdGR_k-BoGC27NWJcDzqNJug/s1600/IMAG1639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpOUvETW_jV-4rNhT-DudkeuFXKm-areDeimtYItL1xeV2hP5qgcF1eipr06ERooW7nTixRpmdZhD177r8Zp7C3L0YHA80d8aexTGz6xudvTrNnscSKbwdGR_k-BoGC27NWJcDzqNJug/s320/IMAG1639.jpg" width="191" /></a>Jordan undergoes scary medical test, complete with
sedatives. Jordan doesn’t remember the rest of the day. The bat catcher comes
and says the bat is gone, and tells Jordan she’s a wuss for not catching it
herself. Jordan is too drugged up to slap the man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
TUESDAY: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian finishes the drywall and patchjob on the dining room
ceiling and bathroom walls after <a href="http://projectpricelessnest.blogspot.ca/2012/08/building-nest-bathroom-woes.html">repairing
the leak</a>, ready for tiling, at the new house. Leaking pipe is soldered and
new tub has been installed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THURSDAY:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian spends the day scraping spackling off the dining room
ceiling to prepare for repainting. He rinses his head in the new tub while
Jordan tidies downstairs. Jordan hears the whoosh of running water, then the
telltale <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">drap-drap-drapdrap-drap </i>of a
leak. Brian follows the sound down to the basement, where water is pooling on
the floor. With<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>many curse words, Brian
yanks out his drywall patch job and discovers another pipe, cracked. Jordan has
a cigarette.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
FRIDAY:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQrpMmRWywHbLwkvngqoVwrhpig9fr73P3IP88pM0MssAyOocJC4KiuG8NstvZ8gG7irj711MrlFQKndHjVkdKMh9ctiBCoy7_n5bc5ushyxM7uoYEPBNXlfHx-6aApm2CmVSdgEQC64/s1600/IMAG1068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQrpMmRWywHbLwkvngqoVwrhpig9fr73P3IP88pM0MssAyOocJC4KiuG8NstvZ8gG7irj711MrlFQKndHjVkdKMh9ctiBCoy7_n5bc5ushyxM7uoYEPBNXlfHx-6aApm2CmVSdgEQC64/s320/IMAG1068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian asks Jordan in the morning, ‘What colour would you
like to paint the living room?’ Jordan says, ‘No colour; why?’ Brian says,
‘Well then, there’s going to be one raw drywall wall, because I’m going to have
to cut out the wall to fix the pipe today.’ Jordan says nothing, and stays as
far away from the new house as possible. Brian and Jordan’s dad spend the day
patching the cracked pipe. Mention of the house makes Jordan’s eye twitch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SATURDAY:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian teaches himself how to tile, and tiles the bathroom.
Jordan sticks to packing up the old apartment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SUNDAY: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jordan hears Brian testing the water, just to be sure of his
pipe repair. She tries not to ask herself why this is being tested <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after all the tile has gone up.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do couples buy houses to test their resolve to co-exist with
each other? I haven’t yet met a person who said, “Oh, you’ve bought a house?
What a wonderful experience you’re about to have! It’s like a second
honeymoon!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian is in his glory. I hope he writes about it this week,
so I can read it and try to understand. Every now and then, he’ll wander over
to me, covered from his head to his toes in plaster and grouting, and just
smile at me. I give him a face I’ve seen on popular girls in high school when
nerdy boys would stare at them; the look that says, “What do you want, weirdo?”
But Brian just keeps on grinning until I roll my eyes and walk away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Darcy and I are hiding out in Brian’s new office. At least
there aren’t any bats here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Knock on wood.)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-53218041737817728462012-08-12T17:51:00.000-04:002012-08-12T17:51:31.411-04:00Building the Nest: Bathroom woes<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7q06UM-4HFelJ6dbKKlMCwGkVE5CaJ69baPNt8j-4aEcH_hirWl0IQMqmjn_vIdD72aVy2J9-ETO2T0VkF30euXryZ0zv2byBT0wcZvkd-x8Rcr-P29kQsdKG8JQjZTZrVZwLQ9T_Vc/s1600/IMAG1639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7q06UM-4HFelJ6dbKKlMCwGkVE5CaJ69baPNt8j-4aEcH_hirWl0IQMqmjn_vIdD72aVy2J9-ETO2T0VkF30euXryZ0zv2byBT0wcZvkd-x8Rcr-P29kQsdKG8JQjZTZrVZwLQ9T_Vc/s1600/IMAG1639.jpg" height="400" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I swear, there was a bathroom here when I left last night. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember moving boxes into this, our new house, in
preparation for the final big move at the end of the month. I remember looking
in this bathroom and thinking about colour choices.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now, less than 24 hours later, I come in to find…that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be fair, I had gotten a quick phone call from Dad while I
was at work that morning. He said that the leak—the tiny leak from the tub that
was supposed to require only a tiny patchjob—had not been as simple as
predicted. The hot water pipe, not the drain, was the leaky culprit. This
meant, apparently, that the wall had to be torn out a little bit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, when they tore out the wall and found that a
previous owner had filled the wall behind the tub with newspapers instead of
insulation, that required more demolition. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should be grateful, and I am, that Brian’s brother is a
drywaller. Because I came into the house, saw, the bathroom, and then walked
right back downstairs to the kitchen, where I painted a first coat on all the
walls; and by the time I was done that, the boys had put up walls again, and
installed the (new) tub. Why a new tub? Because the previous owner had painted
the old one by hand and it felt like sandpaper. And because once you’re redoing
the whole damn bathroom anyway, you might as well replace the tub while everyone
is helping out. It was a project we’d planned to delay, but sometimes you don’t
get that luxury.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bBDZWnrpfCqOy7-Xqhr61Yi5oPeJORtq4RyiNbwvbENUBWCrogbCW8VEwjZfIPY9kiFZzsotJrZExDWaAzC8sMB3wa9-9lGXhnnrkqA_bAUeQx-duabtwfxQefrmyTHhM-Jppw8OLYA/s1600/IMAG1646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bBDZWnrpfCqOy7-Xqhr61Yi5oPeJORtq4RyiNbwvbENUBWCrogbCW8VEwjZfIPY9kiFZzsotJrZExDWaAzC8sMB3wa9-9lGXhnnrkqA_bAUeQx-duabtwfxQefrmyTHhM-Jppw8OLYA/s1600/IMAG1646.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a>I’m calmer about it now, though the newspaper discovery
resulted in the vinyl shower stall being torn out and destroyed, so now we’re
also going to be tiling. I am not exaggerating when I say that our teeny tiny
repair job has quintupled in price. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m grateful for Brian and his brother, who both have been
through house renos with their parents. And I’m grateful for my dad, who played
foreman and helped Brian sodder pipes together. (Did you know people can soder
their own pipes? Neither did I.) I am also grateful for my mom, who, I’m told,
brought the men lobster rolls and veggies to keep them fueled. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am grateful for credit cards, and carefully crafted
spreadsheets that will help us pay back said credit cards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am grateful for my old pug Mr Darcy, who sat by me while I
turned off my brain and painted the kitchen. I am grateful that he’s such a
dork, because he amused me by getting yellow paint all over his butt, then
managed to mascara all his whiskers in blue by sniffing a freshly-painted
table. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will look back on this and laugh one day. But right now,
I just sigh. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep Calm and Paint On.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j9ODRIhd_puRFL4Z95oXpeS99KGpJlr7ivO4BwSiVDc2EOpGLgjnAwW2Zl_NVuXl_fmiVGfaFSqHzTKheph5Vt3IpnBGcEneo7nWN1CZhoAk5yh7dKCmmhzQgejHNj9iNfcSlpqbStI/s1600/keep-calm-and-paint-on-26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="KEEP CALM AND PAINT ON" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j9ODRIhd_puRFL4Z95oXpeS99KGpJlr7ivO4BwSiVDc2EOpGLgjnAwW2Zl_NVuXl_fmiVGfaFSqHzTKheph5Vt3IpnBGcEneo7nWN1CZhoAk5yh7dKCmmhzQgejHNj9iNfcSlpqbStI/s1600/keep-calm-and-paint-on-26.png" height="320" title="KEEP CALM AND PAINT ON" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-30289970444658185602012-08-10T15:09:00.000-04:002012-08-10T15:09:07.844-04:00Flashback: Lost in the woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoHSVTLzIQzmX2RJRbyYw4xxPchyphenhyphenlXYlVGKEq14UxmJuARRPUciJv0HjF2zIDm4UzQcvC_lj7s4ZT0aBNZ3psc8BPwKCquqJb8bnGFYDn2qTuXuSfuZ_Xq6cUys2AY-AVKNEdIxYtd4s/s1600/_MG_6648-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MwphmFN_k1ckoDRW8L7ivHqOGB5D_EWub8wkhQ3P0AoKMpZ57GhUWWi0lhjl6PULHOdsdYV-dXJrd7WJQauqAnthvWTyH_F6Ju-ycGMfAv-SW9My-h30I5vvP7Y0J7NWCbPRLEAg2G0/s1600/_MG_6650-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MwphmFN_k1ckoDRW8L7ivHqOGB5D_EWub8wkhQ3P0AoKMpZ57GhUWWi0lhjl6PULHOdsdYV-dXJrd7WJQauqAnthvWTyH_F6Ju-ycGMfAv-SW9My-h30I5vvP7Y0J7NWCbPRLEAg2G0/s320/_MG_6650-1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Adam Pap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">HAPPY HORRIBLE ANNIVERSARY </span></span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">It's
the anniversary today of the day that Brian left for Calgary. Foolish
boy; we'd been friends for about a year at that point, and for whatever
hairbrained reason, he chose to tell me he loved me the night before he
left. I don't think he expected me to say it back.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">But
leave he did, and I spent that first week in utter despair. I had had
an entire summer with him, on the back of his bike, riding around until
all hours of the night. I was addicted to motorcycles and I was missing
my friend...and someone I wanted to be more. I found solace in long
drives in MJ's car, chain-smoking, and angsty music. Behold, I am a
teenager still. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">DRIVING INTO THE WILD</span> </span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">About
a week after Brian left, I was out for one of my drives along the
Ottawa River Parkway. I should probably mention that I was a very new
driver at this time (I was older than most when I got my licence for the
first time), so driving was still a novelty and my driving skills were
still novice. As I approached the turn where I could either head home or
head out to the Gatineau Hills, I made a snap decision: I would head to
the Hills, where Brian had so often taken me up to Champlain Lookout. I
would sit there, breathe the lush air of the forest, and pine for my
love.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I
stopped at the entrance to the Hills at a convenience store and bought a
map of the area, just in case. Then I headed up into the hills, playing
Arcade Fire and smoking away. I had never driven up here on my own, but
as far as I could recall from the back of Brian's bike, there was just
one long road winding up-up-up to the summit. Nothing to be afraid of.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">YOU ARE NOWHERE.</span> </span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGG-Jufcnn8pIBwlnS4aQPEFYXMVPwzDkDZQAW-j6j8QipnARvv1yVRVpTwG5abbgMV8YWQNuDrqH984orDHXnyw2U6hh2Sdk0Uiffgn5PX4j3bpKFw7WNlWQVEibrEAd0U1aY67Tm4No/s1600/IMAG0193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGG-Jufcnn8pIBwlnS4aQPEFYXMVPwzDkDZQAW-j6j8QipnARvv1yVRVpTwG5abbgMV8YWQNuDrqH984orDHXnyw2U6hh2Sdk0Uiffgn5PX4j3bpKFw7WNlWQVEibrEAd0U1aY67Tm4No/s320/IMAG0193.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">After
about twenty minutes of driving, I found myself--you guessed it--on
some unfamiliar road. I pulled over when I saw a giant map, figuring I
could locate myself with the handy YOU ARE HERE arrow: no luck. The map
had no YOU ARE HERE arrow, and to this day I don't understand how that
could be. Anyway, I pulled out my pre-purchased map and realized that I
probably should have opened it first, because turns out, the Gatineau
Hills are simply coloured in with green--no roads are indicated at all. I
sighed and got back in my car, and headed aimlessly out. I figured I
would either find my familiar piece of road, or discover that I was
driving back towards home.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I was wrong.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Several
kilometers of confused driving later, I finally pulled over in the
parking area of an unfamiliar lookout. I picked up my phone, and dialed
MJ. As she answered, and I said, "Hey, MJ; I think I'm lost," the sun
sank abruptly below the tree line and I was plunged into utter forested
darkness. Then my cell signal faded and dropped the call.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">DARKEST AFTER THE DUSK. </span></span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">The
next hour is a terrified blur. I remember driving from one parking area
to another, aimlessly driving to picnic areas, hiking trails, and
lookouts. I remember repeatedly calling MJ back and getting about 30
seconds of airtime before the signal would fade again. She was searching
a giant map of the Hills on her laptop, trying to locate me, and
somehow she was always one stop behind me. She implored me to stop
driving, and I finally did, tucking my car into a velvety black gravel
lot where I was surrounded by trees and the only sign of civilization
was a hut on the edge of the clearing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0F94rwbMWKDX2DSyEAgfl4XifXBqtBJufE4avJS8q6R-D-l6bj4pURgA24PhUMezUTSFru5s4KotcNcSx5xIZAzlHiTLi9Y07I0226C5c6ygaJBGN16xGoOZlPetFVuJoYGXin-gtFfs/s1600/IMAG0312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0F94rwbMWKDX2DSyEAgfl4XifXBqtBJufE4avJS8q6R-D-l6bj4pURgA24PhUMezUTSFru5s4KotcNcSx5xIZAzlHiTLi9Y07I0226C5c6ygaJBGN16xGoOZlPetFVuJoYGXin-gtFfs/s320/IMAG0312.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I
hunkered down low in my car, holding my phone tightly and listening to
MJ's attempts to calm me down. All I could think of was that I was lost
in an ginormous uncharted national park, in the pitch black, by myself.
In a shaking voice I told MJ where I was, and that I had a granola bar, a
half-pack of smokes, and a bottle of water to get me through the night.
MJ reassured me that I wouldn't be stuck overnight, and suddenly had a
great idea: call Andrea, our police officer friend. I agreed with this plan; Andrea had been my confidante through much of my grieving for Brian, and would know exactly where I'd been trying to drive to. MJ hung up on me to
call Andrea, then called back to let me know that Andrea had just got
off duty, knew exactly where I was, and was headed up to save me. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">It was all over but the waiting.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">But waiting is the hardest part.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">As
I huddled low in my seat, I looked out at the deep black forest and
started to freak myself out. I'd been reading a lot of vampire and
werewolf books lately--</span><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">no, not Twilight</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">--and
suddenly all those silly mythical monsters didn't seem so mythical. The
wood hut, in particular, seemed to be a likely hiding place for a
horrible monster that would surely drag me off into the woods and devour
my entrails. I faced that terrible dilemma: hide my head under my hood
so I couldn't see the looming woods, thereby allowing the ghouls and
goblins to sneak up to my car unnoticed; or keep peering around,
maintaining a manic vigil on the forest. It was a lose-lose scenario. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">MY WHITE KNIGHT. </span></span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">As
my panic was just reaching its highest point, and my bladder was
screaming for me to get out of the car for a pee, there were headlights
lighting up the road. I recognized the silhouette of our dear, sweet,
heroic Andrea in her car. She pulled up to my driver's side window in a
lazy loop, rolled down her window, and in a slow drawl said, "Feeling
nostalgic, were we?" </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Andrea
guided me home, and I will forever be indebted to her for the rescue. I
eventually admitted to Brian what I had done out of my overwhelming
grief at losing him. He wasn't nearly as impressed or sympathetic as he
should have been. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I'm
so very, very happy that my sweet boy came home to me. The first thing
we did upon his return was head to the Gatineau Hills...with Brian
navigating, of course.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-50361023829076186622012-08-07T13:30:00.000-04:002012-08-07T13:30:40.575-04:00Furniture Makeovers: painting old wood with Jordan<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcJXh8r3hqFfhaZfzxf-lLKf-0dN7B6tTn2v2Xv_LJ6Ws9gPCy5h8zTq3yUCYgN007kqQFCvSxivL1VgdG0FZjZwLSz_7qkH0a1Vy5i8VRRHvxIKjvKnoPYVsq39zRhuVxLEYjv3UghE/s1600/jordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcJXh8r3hqFfhaZfzxf-lLKf-0dN7B6tTn2v2Xv_LJ6Ws9gPCy5h8zTq3yUCYgN007kqQFCvSxivL1VgdG0FZjZwLSz_7qkH0a1Vy5i8VRRHvxIKjvKnoPYVsq39zRhuVxLEYjv3UghE/s320/jordan.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We spent the weekend
at the new nest, working on things like wiring and installing a dishwasher
(okay, Brian was doing that, not me), and revamping old furniture to make new
treasures for our house (that was me). As I worked on two very different
dressers in the backyard, I thought about what tips I can offer up for the
amateur furniture makeover artist. I’ve got a long history with refinishing
furniture (in the past, I’ve done some pretty cool <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.73584830610.157869.883300610&type=1&l=f63149a37f" target="_blank">commissioned paintings on furniture</a>), and I’ve found there are two ways to refurb an ailing wooden
treasure: the fast way, and the right way. But don’t despair: there’s a time
and place for both.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">PAINTING OLD
FURNITURE: THE FAST WAY OR THE RIGHT WAY?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Refinishing furniture
can be a complicated, smelly, toxic, messy, onerous task. Doing it the <b>right
way</b> usually follows these steps:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">1. Remove old paint</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">2. Sand</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">3. Apply primer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">4. Sand</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">5. Apply paint, and
sand again if needed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">6. Clear coat </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS7tU4ml5xxROV7DsBgUXrq0d4vqF8_qIiBQFesrpLB87vF6IfpDfUdLC6KchKkrVRRXxqp6YChO1hMq4kj-bVckToN5kzfsRvi363KKECR0GGx35oNjyon6VbtxXAMtnZYVD8awS-Bg/s1600/IMAG1617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS7tU4ml5xxROV7DsBgUXrq0d4vqF8_qIiBQFesrpLB87vF6IfpDfUdLC6KchKkrVRRXxqp6YChO1hMq4kj-bVckToN5kzfsRvi363KKECR0GGx35oNjyon6VbtxXAMtnZYVD8awS-Bg/s320/IMAG1617.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dresser 1: BEFORE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The <b>fast way </b>goes like
this: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">1. Paint and pray</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I usually follow the ‘right
way’ when I’m doing a commissioned piece, but when it’s just for me, I have a
third method which feels like a fair compromise:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">COMPROMISE: JORDAN’S
HALF-FAST FURNITURE REFINISHING</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">1. Sand the piece with
rough paper and a mouse sander</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">2. Prime</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">3. Paint</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">4. Clear coat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">TIPS FOR FURNITURE
MAKEOVERS</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Here’s a few tips I’ve
learned, primarily through trial and error and misery:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCp-PBLrGfxf_DeKyZgTVD5yMqOlfKWIEdBnKE5kDV1TNZMbHqPmHbJlht71OcO1xbRea8CVrdoOJELcmmWbll1y3crKAErbTwrmeKh4BftYrFPUObZlAWzbo8r9Qj4O7jRerWvutWzuQ/s1600/IMAG1629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCp-PBLrGfxf_DeKyZgTVD5yMqOlfKWIEdBnKE5kDV1TNZMbHqPmHbJlht71OcO1xbRea8CVrdoOJELcmmWbll1y3crKAErbTwrmeKh4BftYrFPUObZlAWzbo8r9Qj4O7jRerWvutWzuQ/s320/IMAG1629.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dresser 1: AFTER!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>a. SPRAY PAINT IS NOT
ALWAYS THE ANSWER. </b>Spray paint needs a lot of coats to be effective, and tends
to chip or scratch. If you want a brushstroke-free finish, use a roller with ‘real’
paint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>b. TYPE OF PAINT
COUNTS.</b> I buy a lot of ‘mis-tints’ at the hardware store—paints that have been
returned because the colour was wrong, and are then sold super-cheap—but I
always check on what type of paint it is. For furniture, a semi-gloss is better
than an eggshell finish, though your clear coat will help with this as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>c. QUALITY IS KEY.
</b>Choosing a higher-quality paint may mean the difference between one coat and
three. This means in the end, the higher-quality paint will actually save you
money. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>d. TAKE BREAKS BETWEEN
STEPS.</b> Water-based paints need three days to off-gas, and oil-based paints need
a week. This means that, no matter how dry your paint seems, it’s still
releasing gasses for 3-7 days. During this time, do NOT apply your clear coat;
you risk accidentally pulling off the paint, and you can end up with a finish
that easily chips or peels.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAATJoFJlJdOyTGeN0pYEDOimWZZTH-8J9NqGSpg7wy8ENZOtDyetDi8avLwgD7LnpzqEnYGd2H6mgK47Q6QAisDv4BT9OAgwEOIJ68VWLrJiZo2PfHCGk3YBKz9ZUSORCaP1-L5kk8w/s1600/IMAG1616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAATJoFJlJdOyTGeN0pYEDOimWZZTH-8J9NqGSpg7wy8ENZOtDyetDi8avLwgD7LnpzqEnYGd2H6mgK47Q6QAisDv4BT9OAgwEOIJ68VWLrJiZo2PfHCGk3YBKz9ZUSORCaP1-L5kk8w/s320/IMAG1616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dresser 2: BEFORE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>e. TAKE RISKS ON THE
TRASHY STUFF.</b> The blue dresser seen here was free, found on a street corner, in
terrible shape, and headed to the trash. The creamy one was purchased (for a
whopping $20), is more unique, and is higher quality. So naturally, I did the risqué
paintjob on the cheap/free dresser, and did the ‘safer’ colours on the more
expensive piece. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>f. CONSIDER LOCATION.</b>
The creamy dresser here will now be used as a buffet/sideboard in our dining
room, while the blue dresser is indeed still a dresser. But many people pass up
great deals on furniture when they think they don’t have a spot for it. I’ve
seen adorable high chairs made into plant stands, TV stands made into benches,
and dressers made into kitchen islands. Don’t get stuck thinking about
furniture as a one-trick pony; it can be as versatile as you like!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6Q3gF1xQLAcSY9bnPg_eILXfZshG6Mwje7DwljryJdh-EERPMKmt4_Nmo7Nsc-Hw7bonBPhj2cZqsLviljXJMmjKwG7UAlWGaWnCUAWpRHk5l4ivfVlFUBBeAOv9UYFhXUa9JI5jQ3U/s1600/sideboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6Q3gF1xQLAcSY9bnPg_eILXfZshG6Mwje7DwljryJdh-EERPMKmt4_Nmo7Nsc-Hw7bonBPhj2cZqsLviljXJMmjKwG7UAlWGaWnCUAWpRHk5l4ivfVlFUBBeAOv9UYFhXUa9JI5jQ3U/s320/sideboard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dresser 2: AFTER</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>g. TO PAINT OR NOT TO
PAINT?</b> My dad cries a little every time I paint a piece of furniture. The
reality is, many of the pieces I salvage were going to end up in the landfill
if I didn’t paint them up. Yes, that ancient dining room chair might be a
pricey piece if you could ever find a buyer, but sometimes no one is looking
for one raggedy old hoopback. Painting it up and revitalizing it may give it
another twenty years of life in a person’s home. People who freak out every
time someone paints a chair are probably the same people who say women shouldn’t
have to colour their grey hair: I’m sorry, but some of us just aren’t ready to
look our age.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yAam54cjElioR-WxkMnz2jYWRWmVgQx3iRR1sypjYOevRh4zkg_cZpZSH6ymCtLGAM6v_irRxIBwvgjLLYuK8YJ6DgOY7f93tNmAtHTB7vD1P8zaQhlk9bAzEM8Hm3dft1rCisQOPIo/s1600/IMAG1625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yAam54cjElioR-WxkMnz2jYWRWmVgQx3iRR1sypjYOevRh4zkg_cZpZSH6ymCtLGAM6v_irRxIBwvgjLLYuK8YJ6DgOY7f93tNmAtHTB7vD1P8zaQhlk9bAzEM8Hm3dft1rCisQOPIo/s320/IMAG1625.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those painty, painty hands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i>On the flipside</i>, of
course, some pieces should be left well enough alone: church pews, cast iron
sewing tables, and things handmade by your great-grandpa may deserve to be
properly refinished by a professional. Ask yourself: is the look of the wood
what gives this particular piece its magic? If the answer is yes, put the
paintbrush away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">That’s just a few tips
to get you thinking and hopefully get you feeling a bit more courageous!
Worse-case scenario, you have to prime and paint again. Relax, folks; it’s just
furniture. Now see what you can create!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-49337191415181649182012-08-02T09:42:00.002-04:002012-08-02T09:42:12.461-04:00A Confession: Off the wagon<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzgfKrPamzbsWh0vVFbnAvAqpNzWKws74rUvKcogogqxIYGNkq8GiSqWddRw7VdquP9sHYa7E1RyVodxZ8CZlPIvmyJ738XG2-P4ZaBwJ98ohtNtaSv5DCkuRkRjDfinjx2Qx7cWJ6AE/s1600/JordanNSsit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzgfKrPamzbsWh0vVFbnAvAqpNzWKws74rUvKcogogqxIYGNkq8GiSqWddRw7VdquP9sHYa7E1RyVodxZ8CZlPIvmyJ738XG2-P4ZaBwJ98ohtNtaSv5DCkuRkRjDfinjx2Qx7cWJ6AE/s1600/JordanNSsit.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I'm confessing something today, and I am terrified to share it; but I've thought about it pretty hard, so here it goes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I'm having a cigarette.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Oh, I should mention: I quit last year.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
I'm
not making excuses; I know this is because I haven't finished my own
process of learning new ways to cope. But as an explanation, here's why
I'm smoking: I'm anxious beyond all reason. I am living through an
impossibly scary time right now, and I'm not coping with it very well.
I'm still sick, with the doctors giving me no helpful news--you may
remember, I had a health crisis hit in February, and it is still going
on. Everyday I am in pain, everyday I don't know what's wrong. Everyday
I'm getting closer to having some scary invasive tests run, and those
tests aren't even likely to find the problem. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">How ironic that a health problem would lead me to partake of such an unhealthy activity.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Throw
in a new house, plus Brian's recent job change-up, plus my best friend
moving away, and I'm a ball of stress. Doesn't help that I have an
actual, diagnosed anxiety disorder. Ohhh, the joys of being in my head.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">So
for a little over a week now, I have had a cigarette every day. I hate
myself every time I do it, but the alternative currently is to take a
sedative, and the sedatives scare me. They are powerful, and they are
addictive. Hello, rock; hello, hard place.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">WHY IT'S A SECRET </span></span></h4>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I
haven't told anyone but Brian, because people love to berate a smoker.
Having worked with drug addicts, I never personally do that to people. I
understand that one must be in a dark, terrible place to feel like
putting poison into their bodies is the best choice of action. But it's
incredible how many people feel completely comfortable with judging and
condemning the nicotine addict. I'm afraid to tell my parents in case
they become angry with me, and yes I understand that the anger is born
from love, but being chastised isn't going to help me. In fact, my
parents' support these past few months is the reason I've only mildly
relapsed here. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNltCME7Xla2V4pYFC9gMJ507_bPIZQKWzp7FhaxoSeuY3-CJHAPlNu5OCGdTF_qfTPB86zxCiVz7y_LTKpWoMevqL_wE3ah9kDTHDRy4hkj8W2_suFXt-xD7NPXlWCRZL-98PRWVwEIU/s1600/jordanNS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNltCME7Xla2V4pYFC9gMJ507_bPIZQKWzp7FhaxoSeuY3-CJHAPlNu5OCGdTF_qfTPB86zxCiVz7y_LTKpWoMevqL_wE3ah9kDTHDRy4hkj8W2_suFXt-xD7NPXlWCRZL-98PRWVwEIU/s1600/jordanNS.jpg" /></a></div>
Some
things have changed since I last bought smokes. The photos on the
packaging are far worse, for one. I can't get over how horrid the
imagery is, and I can't <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">believe </i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the government thinks these photos will stop a smoker. If that were true, we could just make every heroine addict watch </span><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Requiem for a Dream</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"> and we wouldn't need rehab centres. All the photos do is increase my anxiety...which makes lighting up all that more likely.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Cigarettes
are also more and more expensive, which I hated when I was a regular
smoker, but I'm glad of now: it is most definitely a deterrent from
allowing myself to continue on with this addiction.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
I
want to stop. I need to stop. I want and need to reach out for the
supports that helped me quit the first time 'round: people, mostly. But
that fear of chastisement has stopped me from admitting my failure. The
chastisement does nothing, people! It is akin to when your friend breaks
up with that loser you never liked, and you talk about how much you
always hated him, but the next day they get back together: chances are,
your friend won't tell you the next time they're having problems because
she'll be afraid you won't be listening with an understanding heart.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;">SOCIAL STIGMA: SHUNNING FROM THE TRIBE</span></h4>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Something
else has changed since I last smoked: smokers are more of a social
pariah than ever before. The municipal government has banned us from smoking in
virtually any public place you can think of, in a misguided attempt to
'discourage people from smoking'. Seriously, Public Health? I have seen smokers
stand in the middle of a freezing rain ice storm with no umbrella and no
coat, trying to get a little bit of nicotine before going back to their
desk jobs. You think walking ten meters further down the road is going
to stop us? That makes me keenly aware of how little the health care
system is interested in really understand and dealing with nicotine
addiction. This is an 'out of sight, out of mind' approach, and it's a
joke.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">WHY SMOKE?</span> </span></h4>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">In
addictions work, we talk about HALT as the basis for most relapse:
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. (I usually throw in 'bored' as
well.) These are the top reasons why people get the urge to relapse. I
often ask myself which one of these emotions is urging me onward towards
that smoke, and lately it's usually the A, L, and T.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><span style="color: #38761d;">WHAT I NEED TO QUIT </span></span></h4>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I've
been thinking hard about what's going to help me stop smoking this time
'round. It's not going to be yelling, nagging, or shunning, and it
definitely won't be expulsion from public parks. If I'm feeling angry,
lonely, and tired, why would isolation and reproach help in any way?
Certainly, all the yelling I've done in my own head at myself hasn't
helped. No, I am considering a new approach: I think hugs are the answer.
If you see me smoking a cigarette, or I tell you I want to find a
cigarette, hug me. Just reach out and hug me. (If we haven't been
introduced yet, maybe say something about having read the blog, though.
Just a suggestion.) Imagine if every smoker who stepped out, bummed a
smoke, and then lit up feeling wretched and like a total failure, was
suddenly embraced in genuine kindness by a friend or stranger. I bet you
fewer of us would finish our smokes, or at least fight the urge for the next one.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm
sorry to those I've let down with this relapse, but I'm not going to
get weighed down with guilt. I've written this post to keep me honest
and accountable. I am beginning a journey of cessation again--it should
be easier than when I used to smoke 15-20 smokes a day, I </span><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">think</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">--and I hope along the way there'll be some kind hearts to help me along.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-88913652895682599992012-07-29T23:00:00.000-04:002012-07-29T23:00:52.915-04:00Better In An Hour: Easy upholstery<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5X1s9cCISnIHYXGX9KRSG0HKsZ_vVBMau-qgQEgPPfh4knj1Mbu6n8aetHIe2_Ml3pC6AyI1vWv-bqvUX5ZBhBQ9QAzA-cfrOxMyV0PvkCoDLGLobVsTimEorCcF7SlvhAaxQ890I0o/s1600/IMAG0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5X1s9cCISnIHYXGX9KRSG0HKsZ_vVBMau-qgQEgPPfh4knj1Mbu6n8aetHIe2_Ml3pC6AyI1vWv-bqvUX5ZBhBQ9QAzA-cfrOxMyV0PvkCoDLGLobVsTimEorCcF7SlvhAaxQ890I0o/s320/IMAG0010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold, our ugly red vinyl footstool. (Forgot to take a<br />photo rightside-up.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
<span style="color: #38761d;">UPHOLSTERY FOR LAZY PEOPLE </span></h4>
It's been a while since we did a DIY crafty post, but don't fret: since we're getting the keys to our new house on Tuesday. Here's a small project that saved a little footstool from the trash:<br />
<br />
Behold, my ugly footstool. Find your own similarly-shaped piece of furniture--a footstool, a padded stool, or something else entirely. This style of upholstering won't work as well on, say, a stuffed couch; look for something smaller, with a wood base to receive the staples.<br />
<br />
<b>YOU WILL NEED </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MBr7VgbV4bkGtYMHwr2BtEbIvKB3sgh2Rsk2GtSXiKaCWJMIFoVkP3tRBfIYKrMLn-LSuzHeSfUxtEGSKvWJ7QVg-OjwOVncvcwTCwjcQI-t5kE2twzuXd-4vUtZRqZ2sm79ltJ6Bjo/s1600/IMAG0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MBr7VgbV4bkGtYMHwr2BtEbIvKB3sgh2Rsk2GtSXiKaCWJMIFoVkP3tRBfIYKrMLn-LSuzHeSfUxtEGSKvWJ7QVg-OjwOVncvcwTCwjcQI-t5kE2twzuXd-4vUtZRqZ2sm79ltJ6Bjo/s320/IMAG0007.jpg" width="191" /></a>-an old piece of furniture (ie footstool)<br />
-a staple gun and staples<br />
-a piece of fabric<br />
-scissors<br />
-foam, yoga mat, or other padding<br />
<br />
First, we cut the yoga mat up. We used an old, thin, unappealing yoga mat to add padding to the stool, as the original padding was worn down to nothing. We cut three ovals of yoga mat out with a pair of scissors after tracing the footstool onto it. <b>This step took 5 minutes.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9X7aC-LzvZxaY3g7e5hzb4NHGCq8GBHAjocvD9xsO1YKWJ7QKl0Wr0S9OrEFgAhTIb-TgjfW9nOWcfnfblSOnVgsg1nQI3NGobU1fz5LpIe23vn5FocKtYSUvbKlrDF6a0nmzoeJlug/s1600/IMAG0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9X7aC-LzvZxaY3g7e5hzb4NHGCq8GBHAjocvD9xsO1YKWJ7QKl0Wr0S9OrEFgAhTIb-TgjfW9nOWcfnfblSOnVgsg1nQI3NGobU1fz5LpIe23vn5FocKtYSUvbKlrDF6a0nmzoeJlug/s320/IMAG0008.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />
Next, we stacked those onto the stool; we then took our piece of fabric and put it on top. Then we flipped the stool over, and began stapling the fabric to the bottom of the stool. <b>This step took 15 minutes.</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_LC4JHhCLZZvKt8zTR2PhimfDTLupFLDPm3ukGFihF-fY0-QVqmRy0MCM7N-IEIuf_PEys8HkavP81xWV0cL33470HghodoFyQnK1vV-PDsXCTTTCwu85OuFh8HQJ4tEL8e75lbjcKQ/s1600/IMAG0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_LC4JHhCLZZvKt8zTR2PhimfDTLupFLDPm3ukGFihF-fY0-QVqmRy0MCM7N-IEIuf_PEys8HkavP81xWV0cL33470HghodoFyQnK1vV-PDsXCTTTCwu85OuFh8HQJ4tEL8e75lbjcKQ/s320/IMAG0011.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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You'll likely need to keep adjusting your foam/yoga mat pieces to make sure they haven't shifted out of position. There's a knack to going around turns or corners, too: create tiny, intentional folds, and staple them down. On the straightaways, you can just go straight and tight. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqSwQcT7P_L9msOFoLaJEQRKWino2SXlXIF-t5x5EE8lZqdA_8oCW-04pc9M8WqPSYY0b4y8ayLwpmHhj_zFR73ZEadoAGUs_OSbNBIDAgX7Ka2yF5IBYflF3P7fxYde0V8Pqzvcq6PE/s1600/IMAG0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqSwQcT7P_L9msOFoLaJEQRKWino2SXlXIF-t5x5EE8lZqdA_8oCW-04pc9M8WqPSYY0b4y8ayLwpmHhj_zFR73ZEadoAGUs_OSbNBIDAgX7Ka2yF5IBYflF3P7fxYde0V8Pqzvcq6PE/s320/IMAG0013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of staples for a secure attachment!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4M3GiLJXlZZJ6PeMPIBUk6VKNYVvJmxCK3y1aNdwZdgOS9e6LVWaSp88zM9goT37NhdNCHWvxOsOl0PeD97f-n07hX4euFOnnqJeVvoUeIbHOmoffOe1BQowZma0AuWZEICgp3ayQd7k/s1600/IMAG0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4M3GiLJXlZZJ6PeMPIBUk6VKNYVvJmxCK3y1aNdwZdgOS9e6LVWaSp88zM9goT37NhdNCHWvxOsOl0PeD97f-n07hX4euFOnnqJeVvoUeIbHOmoffOe1BQowZma0AuWZEICgp3ayQd7k/s200/IMAG0016.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Cut off any excess, add any staples you need to, and hammer in any staples that didn't quite jab all the way into the wood. <b>This step took 5 minutes. </b><br />
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And there you have it! A much more attractive footstool than the one you started out with! <b> </b> And, in total, <b>this entire project took 25 minutes. </b>Now, at some point we will be painting the legs, which I estimate will take another 30 minutes to properly sand, prime, and paint.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFQ-FPPsnwi65xdDl9sQY97ytpOWlG41jtHuBi5XN8S_AfTN1qScqdMoog1EnqYbElaWp1McsAieOR09BJNNfBLwOOciQq4xVSNt-oT1APjQUWWg3Vbr8wak6SgbQ1r0FaQE9CLXh4ds/s1600/IMAG0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFQ-FPPsnwi65xdDl9sQY97ytpOWlG41jtHuBi5XN8S_AfTN1qScqdMoog1EnqYbElaWp1McsAieOR09BJNNfBLwOOciQq4xVSNt-oT1APjQUWWg3Vbr8wak6SgbQ1r0FaQE9CLXh4ds/s400/IMAG0017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not bad, eh!<br />
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Simple, easy, and good for us lazy people. Just my kind of DIY makeover.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-10598328753478711012012-07-27T18:41:00.001-04:002012-07-27T18:43:42.996-04:00Fridays with Bri - cleaning roller skate bearings<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3HQwszHS38bPRFiLFeeeP3YnMRmwE8pyPMBYm8oCvhy9pJxyPOO6YVmEjcd7W9v64qBR2joXTV2VqmJanFGPqcO7FiH516rHQMffxE8OKkYJv8PgkK8mhueQEJyJB1bmIX2dQ1aFDL4/s1600/1020091454a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3HQwszHS38bPRFiLFeeeP3YnMRmwE8pyPMBYm8oCvhy9pJxyPOO6YVmEjcd7W9v64qBR2joXTV2VqmJanFGPqcO7FiH516rHQMffxE8OKkYJv8PgkK8mhueQEJyJB1bmIX2dQ1aFDL4/s320/1020091454a.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hot wife and derby veteran!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="color: #38761d;">
GETTING YOUR BEARINGS...CLEAN </h4>
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Jordan and I have been planning for a long time to clean the
bearings in our roller skates; we used to love skating together, but this season has just been too busy. It may seem like a big job and it can be intimidating, but it turned out to take only a half-hour. Now we both feel silly for waiting. If you use roller skates, roller blades, or a skateboard, this maintenance is important, so be sure to keep reading! Here is the step by step on how we did ours. There are many different opinions on what works best, but we were really happy with our results.</div>
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Firstly, we did check for videos on the internet and we found
<a href="http://youtu.be/mEkAeVVivK8" target="_blank">this one by SkateboardTech</a> to be the best so we followed his video; however we mentally changed the skateboard
wheels to roller skate wheels (which are almost the same). The bearings we have are Bones Reds, which can be opened and actually taken apart into its smallest components. We chose to only take off the red rubber seals, though. You can go further if you have the time.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWb94LxfQISluLhfZ_ZjdnrMmX5SbHbV-93K5KWrM6kXniup2-6g85419HQEFpLqyuaZCKFC-Hf7kG5x1s2IEDRiq47ON9aDX_Ty2pQkdg2sHGp2Ip9O29y9zzuuS_4FmAZVqgjsJEMI8/s1600/IMAG0471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWb94LxfQISluLhfZ_ZjdnrMmX5SbHbV-93K5KWrM6kXniup2-6g85419HQEFpLqyuaZCKFC-Hf7kG5x1s2IEDRiq47ON9aDX_Ty2pQkdg2sHGp2Ip9O29y9zzuuS_4FmAZVqgjsJEMI8/s320/IMAG0471.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
First you will need: </div>
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A skate tool</div>
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Cleaner--<i>an alcohol-based solvent is best, though the video recommends orange cleaner. But if you use an alcohol-based cleaner, you can skip the rinsing step.</i> </div>
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Cleaner bottle-<i>-buy one from a skate shop, or make one like the video shows.</i></div>
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Lubrication oil<i>--sewing machine oil will do the trick!</i></div>
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Paper towel</div>
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A paper clip</div>
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Bearings (we used bones reds)</div>
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Roller Skates, a skateboard, or roller blades</div>
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Step 1</div>
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Remove the bearings from the
wheels, and wipe off the dirt. Place the bearings on a paper towel</div>
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Step 2</div>
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Remove the cover/seal; the bones reds have a rubber cover. Stick the paper
clip beside the inner circle and pop out the seal. Other beings may have a metal
covering where you have to pop a metal retaining clip.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAhMYb5_IFgn2Uc8Oibka0kpGHDf5AojJEcE7xIRR0YbulBWoKeMb3qIktAWy7LpPU-HnNy0AyoELMf_bfFuMGqUYHCXuPX4xaBsPdN7hlF0NEoN2t_Le4Vg2uS_2ZhmxDyMjG0BX0zw/s1600/IMAG0472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAhMYb5_IFgn2Uc8Oibka0kpGHDf5AojJEcE7xIRR0YbulBWoKeMb3qIktAWy7LpPU-HnNy0AyoELMf_bfFuMGqUYHCXuPX4xaBsPdN7hlF0NEoN2t_Le4Vg2uS_2ZhmxDyMjG0BX0zw/s320/IMAG0472.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Step 3 </div>
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Attach the bearings to the cleaning bottle peg and pour
the cleaner into the bottle; about 1/3 of the way full.</div>
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Step 4</div>
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Shake away! Shake shake shake! Shake shake shake!</div>
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Step 5</div>
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Remove the bearings and dry them. We used an alcohol based
cleaner, which evaporates quickly. If you use a citrus biased cleaner be sure
to dry them thoroughly and you may need to rinse away a residue. You can use a lot of things as solvents, including methyl hydrate (we used this and it was great), isopropyl alcohol with a HIGH volume (ie. 70% or more), even rubbing alcohol. We've even heard of people just using the lemon juice you buy in a lemon-shaped bottle in the grocery store. Remember to read precautions, and wear protection if you're handling anything poisonous.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDUv5cNt9I9UbGNGSzC7xNrEnlOMLHNHqjqk7nnQZ7hRpQiVa5WjRptTTIF3c5rEfXhz3kZbah3er_J3bSWijYXE2NQPxdNXcxU1okX9-UYsFKHvgbYVWZ0rIMGAAeG3EVde0x66tOis/s1600/IMAG0468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDUv5cNt9I9UbGNGSzC7xNrEnlOMLHNHqjqk7nnQZ7hRpQiVa5WjRptTTIF3c5rEfXhz3kZbah3er_J3bSWijYXE2NQPxdNXcxU1okX9-UYsFKHvgbYVWZ0rIMGAAeG3EVde0x66tOis/s320/IMAG0468.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bearings and their seals removed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Step 6 </div>
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Add the lubricant: we used Bones Speed Cream, however you can
also use sewing machine oil or any lubricant intended for small machinery. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do not</b> use motor oil, grease or WD40 as they become thick and sticky
and are meant for large moving parts.</div>
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Step7</div>
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Replace the shield. With ours, we just pushed them back on. </div>
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Step 8</div>
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Reinstall the bearings into your wheels and put back on the
skates.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNccj76zMc6JqL_a1E_rjxD5nD7ZbqpKmZubohhvLy7pdu43GqiythTn98HC2caOsANE0XXePQeR-3w4be5Lj6aF_yMaB60V6XJOdb9h6S0kspOeuOw_BT0zyhTRYfpnH5XnLdS4E0z7k/s1600/IMAG0473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNccj76zMc6JqL_a1E_rjxD5nD7ZbqpKmZubohhvLy7pdu43GqiythTn98HC2caOsANE0XXePQeR-3w4be5Lj6aF_yMaB60V6XJOdb9h6S0kspOeuOw_BT0zyhTRYfpnH5XnLdS4E0z7k/s320/IMAG0473.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Step 9 </div>
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Roll around on your freshly cleaned bearings.</div>
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Disclaimer: I am not a mechanic or am I trained to clean
bearings. This is just a list of steps I took to clean my own bearings. Be sure to research your particular type of bearings, and experiment until you find what works for you!<br />
<br />
There's nothing worse than feeling held back from a beloved activity because your equipment is in disrepair. A quiet half-hour spent together, cleaning our bearings, just gave us another great cheap date activity! What have <b>you </b>been putting off? Time to get out there and make it happen!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wPgcdg02UpaGWS1ArfyrYHECGLijHjbypS1pHczem0SEJpaud2YqQOkF2qcJ0QbXqjcTA8an5RHjL4EwiY1hGLEiwLp6WDTyfmOIlDfc6HBhJUNjpCX6FIAJ4gdFNC4pVdpRLpYy1_Y/s1600/39722_10150248822935179_875160178_14101868_7176404_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wPgcdg02UpaGWS1ArfyrYHECGLijHjbypS1pHczem0SEJpaud2YqQOkF2qcJ0QbXqjcTA8an5RHjL4EwiY1hGLEiwLp6WDTyfmOIlDfc6HBhJUNjpCX6FIAJ4gdFNC4pVdpRLpYy1_Y/s320/39722_10150248822935179_875160178_14101868_7176404_n.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly, back in my roller derby reffing days!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-28648127247725088562012-07-24T10:32:00.002-04:002012-07-24T10:32:40.374-04:00Short Story: Missing MJ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlUWYN2xwNtyK6HaAgZYxggClMo5yv3JJgovFa7RxV0ppQ5RmRL7PuLXEAqPifrFeUGZCHSgarMCO3Ke0B3SNSMdJbPmSVuxzDpSYfS63g6RrQpVR7YOYvSOGV5gkMmZ-dv9SfwXwBV0/s1600/MJme2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlUWYN2xwNtyK6HaAgZYxggClMo5yv3JJgovFa7RxV0ppQ5RmRL7PuLXEAqPifrFeUGZCHSgarMCO3Ke0B3SNSMdJbPmSVuxzDpSYfS63g6RrQpVR7YOYvSOGV5gkMmZ-dv9SfwXwBV0/s320/MJme2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Just a short post today, to tide you over...<br />
<br />
I'm missing my bestie, MJ, today. I have a doctor's appointment and she's always my rock for these things. I found myself scrolling through my Evernote files for something interesting today, and found a few MJ quotes that I'd written down before she moved to Toronto, so that I'd have a couple little snippets of her with me all the time. Here's a couple examples of why I miss this girl so much:<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">JORDAN: I don't understand how dogs panting cools them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">MJ: It's their way of sweating.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">JORDAN: Yeah, but when a person sweats, the wind dries the sweat and that's what cools them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">MJ: So maybe the wind is cooling his tongue.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">JORDAN: Well then why not just hang it out? Why all the panting?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">MJ: Cuz it's hard work.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6VUOLzyelc_9NZZ6vaok6T5l-YoxNh0wENqQx07blCNeAaLU70PRnjkx5AU7J9n3V56ozWdtEjHE-UFAgPqJvG_gnRiouolOgrlIaBuGThSJtBMNqzLyLY0s-7u9_El8uz6jt4-4QsE/s1600/MJme1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6VUOLzyelc_9NZZ6vaok6T5l-YoxNh0wENqQx07blCNeAaLU70PRnjkx5AU7J9n3V56ozWdtEjHE-UFAgPqJvG_gnRiouolOgrlIaBuGThSJtBMNqzLyLY0s-7u9_El8uz6jt4-4QsE/s320/MJme1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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MJ [AFTER SITTING IN SILENCE WITH ME FOR NEARLY 20 MINUTES]: </div>
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<i>I</i> would buy the cow. Even if I got the milk for free.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">MJ [AT HER MOVING SALE, WHERE NO ONE STOPPED TO BUY ANYTHING]:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">Why
is no one buying my stuff? People always say how cool my stuff is when
they come over. [SHOUTING TO ALL]: Well, now you can own a piece of the legacy! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">For everyone out there missing a sister, best friend, companion, etc., I feel for you. We should make a group. It would be depressing, but I'd bring brownies.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851471183743641538.post-12937704625952857242012-07-20T11:16:00.005-04:002012-07-20T11:16:55.995-04:00Friday's with Bri - Ford Focus Review<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryA9uSQ_62Vn65eFACle9xTdgcP3qlk2IpbuZ6mFxU6PsV6ViFmdqQozz2su6FMEr4jcLGAM0ePXn0sk3mMx6-r_x4mjuaYxPawKpiq1SKzQNDAa6aRns26wqw750lY5St2cBkQZuVPU/s1600/IMAG0456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryA9uSQ_62Vn65eFACle9xTdgcP3qlk2IpbuZ6mFxU6PsV6ViFmdqQozz2su6FMEr4jcLGAM0ePXn0sk3mMx6-r_x4mjuaYxPawKpiq1SKzQNDAa6aRns26wqw750lY5St2cBkQZuVPU/s320/IMAG0456.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The car we named Sharona (m-m-my Sharona!)</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> 2012 FORD FOCUS: BRIAN'S REVIEW</span></h2>
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This trip to Nova Scotia which you have all heard a lot
about was incredible and I have to say that Ford made it an easy trip. They
lent us a Focus for the trip and I am super impressed. we even named it Sharona.</div>
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Here is
a quick video review of the 2012 Ford Focus.</div>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sN-cjz_xnlk/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sN-cjz_xnlk?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sN-cjz_xnlk?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<i>PS. A huge Thank you to Jordan for holding the camera while I
drove. It made it nice that I could pay attention to the drive and give a
proper review of the car. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This Focus got us to some amazing places, pretty much eveywhere east
of Ottawa! We saw the world's longest covered bridge, the oldest light house in PEI, the Jost Winery, Hopewell Rocks, and 4 provinces. It<span style="line-height: 115%;">
helped us create some great memories in the process; Thank you, Ford Canada, for
the gracious loan of the car for our trip; it made the whole journey a lot more
fun...especially showing off the Active Park Assist! </span>Sharona drove us the full
3000km for the trip and we were able to pack our entire trip with ease. </span><br />
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The car got great mileage; we spent well under our alloted budget of 500.00 on gas for the entire trip. It's a very peppy car, which took Jordan a while to get used to, since our current car is lightyears less responsive. The built-in navigational system was fanastic, and it's the only reason why all six of us survived the trip without driving into a lake or murdering each other; we actually used the Focus's GPS to get us around Nova Scotia and guide the other cars in our convoy because people's cell phone navigation systems kept losing their signals.<br />
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Dual climate control made Jordan's trip perfect. She is always cold, and I am always hot, so this feature helped bring peace and happiness to the drive. There wasn't a single argument over the A/C settings on either 14-hour drive, nor any of the drives we took during the week. Amazing!<br />
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The Focus offered great fuel economy, comfortable handling, and helpful features like GPS and an alarm to tell you if you've left the parking break on. When we got home and piled into our own ancient clunker, both of us really missed Sharona pretty badly.<br />
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Oh, and space! The Focus managed to surprise <i>everyone</i> with how it handled the insane over-packing that Jordan threw at it:</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We fit:</span> </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigt1pYjnTNxFxlFZO3wbDlqnv9ST2FgIwiQQ75EaOaQvwj-1_2355FANDhgSqzZijKlgbcEpnqH2MA86X1zyi8xC5xbzmL8J4kzPUmpl8juLXPHmJGj8SM0r5t4rl8MHDL3QmE89E8KcQ/s1600/IMAG0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigt1pYjnTNxFxlFZO3wbDlqnv9ST2FgIwiQQ75EaOaQvwj-1_2355FANDhgSqzZijKlgbcEpnqH2MA86X1zyi8xC5xbzmL8J4kzPUmpl8juLXPHmJGj8SM0r5t4rl8MHDL3QmE89E8KcQ/s320/IMAG0085.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
4 Suit cases of different sizes</div>
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2 Acoustic guitars</div>
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1 Semi-hollow-body jazz guitar</div>
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1 cooler </div>
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5 fabric shopping bags </div>
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1 set of juggling clubs</div>
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1 remote controlled miniature helicopter</div>
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1 back pack</div>
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2 purses</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0MAWgSEGimwkf3y-XrX1Y_oPZuP08xuhguRM9tqbA9shS5Y_F5QS15sXqdjmvBGmYNY4WqCI9DkIE5tgkvekF5v0S0tH53M6qIUVecROjzyVFUjoM3iAWOBQD7T1JyD_vDC94C6cNyc/s1600/IMAG0086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0MAWgSEGimwkf3y-XrX1Y_oPZuP08xuhguRM9tqbA9shS5Y_F5QS15sXqdjmvBGmYNY4WqCI9DkIE5tgkvekF5v0S0tH53M6qIUVecROjzyVFUjoM3iAWOBQD7T1JyD_vDC94C6cNyc/s320/IMAG0086.jpg" width="320" /></a>2 driftwood sticks</div>
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4 grape vine seedlings<br />
3 yoga mats<br />
1 car safety kit<br />
1 case of water<br />
1 coffee mug<br />
2 water bottles<br />
and </div>
2 people
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKi9uGCCjFBsikgT6KLEanNX834WrIGjqPrIWBvqyhymxrsyvmQfoRiQ1xl4D3lhJuh4sQVyesKdT5jEhH-xbAXz_P88Gw5u1oaMlnEzurkaNEbuU6JxlILMVl3A5Ch3BSSdBmR1h-5o/s1600/IMAG0397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKi9uGCCjFBsikgT6KLEanNX834WrIGjqPrIWBvqyhymxrsyvmQfoRiQ1xl4D3lhJuh4sQVyesKdT5jEhH-xbAXz_P88Gw5u1oaMlnEzurkaNEbuU6JxlILMVl3A5Ch3BSSdBmR1h-5o/s320/IMAG0397.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> My amazing driving partner</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84em4kcFqdgEsJTnjKz54qTzfk-8g1SgvJfOSMN3vf-DIe7tnAeFiq9aNd4ZyaDJBRlPbhock0gbYb8ZRxlzq0kAvyG-DMlQZ1TyMv24nQ8H7BBqME_bQScY_DnosJb-bNlAVbhxSTFo/s1600/IMG_9408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84em4kcFqdgEsJTnjKz54qTzfk-8g1SgvJfOSMN3vf-DIe7tnAeFiq9aNd4ZyaDJBRlPbhock0gbYb8ZRxlzq0kAvyG-DMlQZ1TyMv24nQ8H7BBqME_bQScY_DnosJb-bNlAVbhxSTFo/s320/IMG_9408.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Jost winery</td></tr>
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Now some great pictures of the memories the car
had:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH82cl0ZQE2phj7RTfr9YONSdWb5inkyfrafhE0uF3olbyzz7kAeCdQpd0Tlb34x68Wirg-cYakkfGFkS1983htf6JeeCuVs7Rtiol_M0MT2sM4zuzI1AZ9yDEur6PUrYCYku5GLu_jgQ/s1600/IMG_9824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH82cl0ZQE2phj7RTfr9YONSdWb5inkyfrafhE0uF3olbyzz7kAeCdQpd0Tlb34x68Wirg-cYakkfGFkS1983htf6JeeCuVs7Rtiol_M0MT2sM4zuzI1AZ9yDEur6PUrYCYku5GLu_jgQ/s320/IMG_9824.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chase's Lobster pound</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgib5eNdwKjRRD7VA23omzLEDAQMjVxBuBiHr6xXWp_jObwuzm_ibNrtjx0akgsmYBzJWf9LhuE7cnvcTstnb5ZCh5nuey-FByvXKZsmcL8W1RoTtRmI76PUQThO19hm52P7QpUO-Dsr6o/s1600/IMAG0231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgib5eNdwKjRRD7VA23omzLEDAQMjVxBuBiHr6xXWp_jObwuzm_ibNrtjx0akgsmYBzJWf9LhuE7cnvcTstnb5ZCh5nuey-FByvXKZsmcL8W1RoTtRmI76PUQThO19hm52P7QpUO-Dsr6o/s320/IMAG0231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parked in front of Murphy's fish and chips</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QaKl214eoYWbLqWf1WdreKYZuZY7J1Xvww-mFbNBCH22_zjx0GGmqnKxbrmNWkHP5lU8XsT1fqaXTcPtRfaEAkaaIku8NrHhqafTgAUVfInnH48wbXlk-MH5JqTlueBK_ovLtJJx3X8/s1600/IMAG1394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QaKl214eoYWbLqWf1WdreKYZuZY7J1Xvww-mFbNBCH22_zjx0GGmqnKxbrmNWkHP5lU8XsT1fqaXTcPtRfaEAkaaIku8NrHhqafTgAUVfInnH48wbXlk-MH5JqTlueBK_ovLtJJx3X8/s320/IMAG1394.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oldest light house in PEI</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2