Did you ever feel like you wanted to be a kid again? I don't just mean not having the different burdens in adulthood, like work related problems, friendship related problems, money related problems, health related problems. I just mean when you were really little and life was about dressing up or arts and crafts, or
talking to your dolls and stuffed animals and they were your best friend. Or having an imaginary friend.
Today there was loss. Loss of someone I knew since I was very young. Someone who was a very smart women who had a lot of things to say about a lot of different topics. Someone who will be missed by many people.
And after getting this call from my mom, I drove home from work. And on the way home I was listening to vynl 95.3 and they have a spot called Gord's Gold I think it is....and tonight they played Peter, Paul and Mary. It made me cry....well, because this song always brings a tear to my eye. But tonight, it made me wish that I was like Jackie Paper, and that life was what it was, with your friend Puff the Magic Dragon.
"Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,
and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff. Oh
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail,
Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came,
Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name. Oh
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
A dragon lives forever but not so little boys
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.
One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave,
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee"
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Self check out or not to self check out - that is the question today
Today's topic - Self check out/scanning
I like the self check out lines. I choose them when I am at stores that have that program. I usually don't have more than 10-12 items and I know how to scan the bar codes without issue, and I know how to key in the PLU numbers on the produce. It is not rocket science, and it is not saving lives.....but it amazes me how many people do NOT know how and SHOULD not be using self check/scanning.
If you do any of the following scenarios I am about to mention - really, you should NOT be using the self check out/scanning in any store.
- if you have a WHOLE cart load of groceries. It will take you more time to scan each item, and when you have a message that you need to see the attendant, you have to stop what you are doing. Today the couple had a full cart load, and a baby in a stroller. They filled one box and they tried to take it and the case of water that they bought off the check out sensor and it wouldn't let them continue. Why you may ask? Well, the answer is simple - it is SENSORED, it knows when you take items on and off the shelf. She told them it wouldn't let them go on until they put the box and the water back on.
- if you plan on PRICE MATCHING 10 items with other stores flyers. Today - the girl in front of me had the flyers for Freshco, Loblaws, and Metro - for her Broccoli, mushrooms, apples, and whatever the hell she put on the scale. EACH AND EVERY item had to be adjusted. Oh, and she received 2 phone calls while she was trying to do this transaction. Lady (and she was younger than me) - get in a REAL line if you want to do that kind of shopping.
- if you are not really familiar with PLU codes on produce and you have to ask for assistance for each and every item in your cart. Get in a real line and have the staff scan it for you. The staff is there for assistance, but if you need help with almost every item, this line is not for you.
I don't think I am being unreasonable in my comments here today. Life is busy, and for the most part, the grocery shopping experience is a pain the a** and no body really LOVES to do it, but it does have to get done. Some of us who don't have to shop for a large family, or go more than once a week to pick up a few fill in items, like the convenience of the self checkout/scanning area of these stores. It is supposed to be a fast, easy and relatively painless experience......not like Chinese water torture which it was today.
How do you feel about it?
I like the self check out lines. I choose them when I am at stores that have that program. I usually don't have more than 10-12 items and I know how to scan the bar codes without issue, and I know how to key in the PLU numbers on the produce. It is not rocket science, and it is not saving lives.....but it amazes me how many people do NOT know how and SHOULD not be using self check/scanning.
If you do any of the following scenarios I am about to mention - really, you should NOT be using the self check out/scanning in any store.
- if you have a WHOLE cart load of groceries. It will take you more time to scan each item, and when you have a message that you need to see the attendant, you have to stop what you are doing. Today the couple had a full cart load, and a baby in a stroller. They filled one box and they tried to take it and the case of water that they bought off the check out sensor and it wouldn't let them continue. Why you may ask? Well, the answer is simple - it is SENSORED, it knows when you take items on and off the shelf. She told them it wouldn't let them go on until they put the box and the water back on.
- if you plan on PRICE MATCHING 10 items with other stores flyers. Today - the girl in front of me had the flyers for Freshco, Loblaws, and Metro - for her Broccoli, mushrooms, apples, and whatever the hell she put on the scale. EACH AND EVERY item had to be adjusted. Oh, and she received 2 phone calls while she was trying to do this transaction. Lady (and she was younger than me) - get in a REAL line if you want to do that kind of shopping.
- if you are not really familiar with PLU codes on produce and you have to ask for assistance for each and every item in your cart. Get in a real line and have the staff scan it for you. The staff is there for assistance, but if you need help with almost every item, this line is not for you.
I don't think I am being unreasonable in my comments here today. Life is busy, and for the most part, the grocery shopping experience is a pain the a** and no body really LOVES to do it, but it does have to get done. Some of us who don't have to shop for a large family, or go more than once a week to pick up a few fill in items, like the convenience of the self checkout/scanning area of these stores. It is supposed to be a fast, easy and relatively painless experience......not like Chinese water torture which it was today.
How do you feel about it?
Friday, October 21, 2011
February 21, 2009
February 21, 2009 - the date of my car accident. It seems very far away and it is. I try to give it the memory that it needs but not to draw a lot of thought to it. I mean, it is always there, but it doesn't inhibit me from driving on highways, in the rain, and sometimes even when it snows. I even drove out to the airport on the 401 a few weeks ago to the international centre. I thought about it after the fact and realized how long it had been since I had been out that far on the 401, well, my mother reminded me.
And then tonight, two shows on tv, one real and one fiction, both shed light on how lucky I really was that night.
The first show that was on was Extreme makeover home addition. This young man was doing a back flip in his backyard, fell wrong and became a parapalegic. Not a car accident, but just that, snap - in a instant, lives changed forever. Really it was hard to watch. I had to keep my tears in check, as my niece Zoe was watching my face as I watched the show. We left their house shortly thereafter, so I didn't see the end of the show and to see what amazing things ABC did for this young man and his family.
Second show - Private Practice. A young pregnant woman survives a car accident but has a traumatic brain injury. Very much like the movie 50 first dates with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler if you saw it. She has to live her life without any long term memory. She doesn't even know she is pregnant. Can you imagine a life like that? The husband says to his therapist - that sometimes he wishes she had died, and what a horrible person he must be. All because of something that happens in a split second.
My car slid off the highway, into the ditch and flipped over. Other than the obvious psychological trauma I have been faced with these last 2 1/2 years, my only problem is my left arm which kind of always has a dull ache. It aches more when the weather is going to change and when it rains, but that is it.
How freaking lucky was I? Pretty freaking lucky I would say.
And then tonight, two shows on tv, one real and one fiction, both shed light on how lucky I really was that night.
The first show that was on was Extreme makeover home addition. This young man was doing a back flip in his backyard, fell wrong and became a parapalegic. Not a car accident, but just that, snap - in a instant, lives changed forever. Really it was hard to watch. I had to keep my tears in check, as my niece Zoe was watching my face as I watched the show. We left their house shortly thereafter, so I didn't see the end of the show and to see what amazing things ABC did for this young man and his family.
Second show - Private Practice. A young pregnant woman survives a car accident but has a traumatic brain injury. Very much like the movie 50 first dates with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler if you saw it. She has to live her life without any long term memory. She doesn't even know she is pregnant. Can you imagine a life like that? The husband says to his therapist - that sometimes he wishes she had died, and what a horrible person he must be. All because of something that happens in a split second.
My car slid off the highway, into the ditch and flipped over. Other than the obvious psychological trauma I have been faced with these last 2 1/2 years, my only problem is my left arm which kind of always has a dull ache. It aches more when the weather is going to change and when it rains, but that is it.
How freaking lucky was I? Pretty freaking lucky I would say.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The tooth fairy
I have ever told you that I know the tooth fairy? I do, she is a friend of my parents. I know that there is more than one tooth fairy, because how else would she get around and visit all the children who have lost teeth. But I know the tooth fairy of my time, when I was a child. Even though she isn't the tooth fairy anymore, it is like being the President, once a tooth fairy, you will always be the tooth fairy.
This tooth fairy didn't only come out at night. She would go into schools and teach children about oral hygene. It is a big job to make sure that children know how to take care of their teeth. I don't know if the schools still have the tooth fairy come to visit, but they should.
Anyhow, after a while, the tooth fairy had helped a lot of children, she decided to do other things with her life. She has had many different jobs and helped many different people along the way. She is active in the Jewish community, volunteered and raised her two sons who are now grown. She also became a grandmother in recent years and is so proud of her grandson and now baby granddaughter.
This tooth fairy is a very strong women. She fights for what she believes in and isn't afraid to tell you exactly what she feels about any given topic on any given day. So, as you can imagine, when the tooth fairy was told she had met up with the "C" monster, she wasn't going to change her fighting spirit, not for the monster or anything else for that matter.
And she has not backed down her fighting spirit the whole way through the continuing battles with the the monster. She asked if she could be on a special trial and the hospital agreed. So she tried, but the monster seemed to be taking over and possibly trying to win the battle.
I went to visit the tooth fairy on Monday night. She still smiled at me and we still had stories to share. She will still tell you what she feels when she feels like it. I think that for some, that is a very good character trait to have. You know what you are getting, and it is up to you to deal with it.
to be continued........
This tooth fairy didn't only come out at night. She would go into schools and teach children about oral hygene. It is a big job to make sure that children know how to take care of their teeth. I don't know if the schools still have the tooth fairy come to visit, but they should.
Anyhow, after a while, the tooth fairy had helped a lot of children, she decided to do other things with her life. She has had many different jobs and helped many different people along the way. She is active in the Jewish community, volunteered and raised her two sons who are now grown. She also became a grandmother in recent years and is so proud of her grandson and now baby granddaughter.
This tooth fairy is a very strong women. She fights for what she believes in and isn't afraid to tell you exactly what she feels about any given topic on any given day. So, as you can imagine, when the tooth fairy was told she had met up with the "C" monster, she wasn't going to change her fighting spirit, not for the monster or anything else for that matter.
And she has not backed down her fighting spirit the whole way through the continuing battles with the the monster. She asked if she could be on a special trial and the hospital agreed. So she tried, but the monster seemed to be taking over and possibly trying to win the battle.
I went to visit the tooth fairy on Monday night. She still smiled at me and we still had stories to share. She will still tell you what she feels when she feels like it. I think that for some, that is a very good character trait to have. You know what you are getting, and it is up to you to deal with it.
to be continued........
Monday, October 17, 2011
a comment sparks another thought
Dawn, thank you for your comments on my previous post today. I totally appreciate where you are coming from and agree with you.
Which actually brings me to a real life event that I have been doing ever since.
One of my extended family was getting married about two years ago, and she had a few different showers for her wedding. While going through the cards after the gifts were open she came across something on the back of the card which is an AMAZING idea and I have been doing ever since.
One the back of card in very small printing was the address of the gift giver. This would SOLVE the problem if you have been invited via email and may not have an address, or someone shared the cost with someone else for the gift. That way a handwritten card could be sent to this person without having to be asked for their address.
I have been doing that since hearing about this story. Maybe now that you have read this, you will to. Then when you get a handwritten thank you note in the mail, it will make your day!
Which actually brings me to a real life event that I have been doing ever since.
One of my extended family was getting married about two years ago, and she had a few different showers for her wedding. While going through the cards after the gifts were open she came across something on the back of the card which is an AMAZING idea and I have been doing ever since.
One the back of card in very small printing was the address of the gift giver. This would SOLVE the problem if you have been invited via email and may not have an address, or someone shared the cost with someone else for the gift. That way a handwritten card could be sent to this person without having to be asked for their address.
I have been doing that since hearing about this story. Maybe now that you have read this, you will to. Then when you get a handwritten thank you note in the mail, it will make your day!
The art of giving and receiving
This post has several random thoughts that will hopefully come together as one message....please bear with me as I go through my thought process with this post.
When you are a child and you go to a birthday party, you are usually thanked at the end with a loot bag. It makes sense because if you are around at the end of the party and you see your friend, family member, sibling opening up all the amazing presents, you can't help but think, "what about me?" I get that. Of course the child forgets it when they have their birthday party and they are the recipient of all the beautifully wrapped and bagged gifts, but is not the point. The point is the moment. All the amazing new unopened gifts which is really, to be honest overwhelming for a child. What do I look at first, "Can I open this one next?"
Another cool party idea for a child is when the parent plans a party that actually involves the other children in an activity that results in them taking home their loot bag that they have been a part of creating. I have seen that as well earlier this year and it went over well.
A friend of mine put in her daughter's loot bags, t-shirts and fabric paint and after the party, a couple of the kids carpooled and had that birthday party continue at the next house, by making the t-shirts and sharing the paints they got as gifts. The gift that keeps on giving.
Then as you get older and you have engagment parties, bridal showers, baby showers, you are now the adult recipent of all these amazingly wrapped (the older you get the more elaborate the wrappings) gifts. Most of the time, the guests won't get a loot bag, but they may get a small token from the event. I know that I made chocolate flowers in flower pots for my cousin's shower and guests were able to either eat the chocolate at the event, or take them home at the end. For a friend's wedding I was asked to make heart shaped cookies which she put in little boxes for her guests to take home. A lot of the guests ate them at the events, but it was the thought that each guest was going to receive a gift just as they brought a gift for the event.
Even more so as adult, you "learn" the art of the thank you card or email. It is still unclear to me all the rules around the thank you ettiquette. Apparently the thank you email is acceptable in today's world. I guess that would make sense when you send out invites via evite.com you may not have everyone's home/mailing address so email is what it has to be.
I had a birthday party celebration for my own birthday this past winter. It was a great event, minus the snow storm that had the event starting early and ending early. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, family and extended family. Brad even arranged for flowers to be sent to me on the day of the party - and of course they were purple. I felt like a kid again when I looked around my living room floor and started to open the presents and read the cards one by one. I felt so special the night of my party and the days that followed. It meant so much to me to have so many people celebrating with me, for me and I will never forget how great that night was.
When you are a child and you go to a birthday party, you are usually thanked at the end with a loot bag. It makes sense because if you are around at the end of the party and you see your friend, family member, sibling opening up all the amazing presents, you can't help but think, "what about me?" I get that. Of course the child forgets it when they have their birthday party and they are the recipient of all the beautifully wrapped and bagged gifts, but is not the point. The point is the moment. All the amazing new unopened gifts which is really, to be honest overwhelming for a child. What do I look at first, "Can I open this one next?"
Another cool party idea for a child is when the parent plans a party that actually involves the other children in an activity that results in them taking home their loot bag that they have been a part of creating. I have seen that as well earlier this year and it went over well.
A friend of mine put in her daughter's loot bags, t-shirts and fabric paint and after the party, a couple of the kids carpooled and had that birthday party continue at the next house, by making the t-shirts and sharing the paints they got as gifts. The gift that keeps on giving.
Then as you get older and you have engagment parties, bridal showers, baby showers, you are now the adult recipent of all these amazingly wrapped (the older you get the more elaborate the wrappings) gifts. Most of the time, the guests won't get a loot bag, but they may get a small token from the event. I know that I made chocolate flowers in flower pots for my cousin's shower and guests were able to either eat the chocolate at the event, or take them home at the end. For a friend's wedding I was asked to make heart shaped cookies which she put in little boxes for her guests to take home. A lot of the guests ate them at the events, but it was the thought that each guest was going to receive a gift just as they brought a gift for the event.
Even more so as adult, you "learn" the art of the thank you card or email. It is still unclear to me all the rules around the thank you ettiquette. Apparently the thank you email is acceptable in today's world. I guess that would make sense when you send out invites via evite.com you may not have everyone's home/mailing address so email is what it has to be.
I had a birthday party celebration for my own birthday this past winter. It was a great event, minus the snow storm that had the event starting early and ending early. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, family and extended family. Brad even arranged for flowers to be sent to me on the day of the party - and of course they were purple. I felt like a kid again when I looked around my living room floor and started to open the presents and read the cards one by one. I felt so special the night of my party and the days that followed. It meant so much to me to have so many people celebrating with me, for me and I will never forget how great that night was.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Reserving a spot
A friend of mine posted this saying on facebook today. I am not going to make a big deal by sharing this post on facebook or twitter, but if you happen to read my blog, here you are.
"If someone wants to be a part of your life, they'll make an effort to be in it. So don't bother reserving a space in your heart for someone that doesn't make an effort."
I think we all have times when we all may fall into this category and I think we should be mindful when this may be happening. If you want to change the pattern, change. If you don't, then you probably won't change the pattern and your friendships will probably change as well.
"If someone wants to be a part of your life, they'll make an effort to be in it. So don't bother reserving a space in your heart for someone that doesn't make an effort."
I think we all have times when we all may fall into this category and I think we should be mindful when this may be happening. If you want to change the pattern, change. If you don't, then you probably won't change the pattern and your friendships will probably change as well.
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