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Saturday, April 29, 2006

What is in the cards for the Habs?

I had no idea I get so many international visitors to my little blog. Now I have the new counter I will try to make my posts more in tune with the international theme.
Now let's talk hockey!
The cards have been read.
I asked the cards if The Canadiens are going to win this series with Carolina.
It's going to be close. Very close. The cards tell me that the Habs are going to win!


I then asked it if they are going to win the Stanley Cup.


Not this year, sorry!

We'll see if the cards are right soon enough!

If you want your cards read, just for fun, let me know.
Be open
Barbara

Obey the rules!


Thank you Engrish.com !

Friday, April 28, 2006

I got good mail today!


I just received the information on the child I am sponsoring in Senegal. World Vision was more than prompt in sending me the information. She is a six year old girl names Diabou. She lives with her family in Thies. Her father farms, her Mother is self-employed. Diabou is not in school yet.
I am just so excited to help them.
I have been doing a little background research on Senegal.
This I got from the CIA- The World Factbook.
"Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping."
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.25 years male: 57.7 years female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)
Ok I don't want to get into too many sad facts now.
What I found very interesting is what was written by Ky'okusinga Kirunga.
The following link brings you to an online journal of a visit to Dakar, Senegal.
Online Journal: Ky'okusinga Kirunga
http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/africa/mar29.html

Oh yeah the other bit of mail I got was my tax refund. Yeah!

My comment section disappeared from this post I have no idea why...

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Caring 4 Katrina


The picture link is not working and I don't know why. You can click on the blue words. They all work.

All Things Anderson along with Rita at Andernation worked together with Sheryn and Lisa to create this website. I want to add my support by letting you all know that there are many organizations linked on that site who need your manpower. Check it out.
If you can make a difference in the Gulf Coast, would you?

be a helper
Barbara

Passports

Most Canadians live within a two hour drive of the US border, right?
Do you have your passport yet?
I do. When I decided to get my driver license at age 39 I also had a plan in my mind to drive where I wanted, when I wanted, no border was going to slow me down. I passed my test, bought my car, got my passport, and booked a campsite in Ausable Chasm NY. This was my solo adventure. My little passport was like a 87$ pass to where ever I wanted to drive. Did I get my moneys worth? Not yet. Driving over the border was a breeze. That part was nice. One thing I like about driving in NY is the roads are in better shape. The gas is slightly cheaper... Really.
My Brother-in-law had a harder time at the border this past March. He is Irish. Born there. He has been married to my Sister and living in Canada something like 17 years now. He has a Sister in Chicago. They visit each other all the time. Border crossings are routine. They were going over to Chicago to visit his Sister and her family for St Patricks day weekend. He has his Irish passport. The US Border guards stopped him. Said the Passport does not fit their machine... Two hours later, they sent them all back home.
Is that stupid or what! There must be thousands of Canadians in the same boat. Maybe we do need that ID card to cover cases like that.
If you are going to the States soon make sure your mumps shots are up to date!
Keeping an Irishman away from Chicago on St Patricks Day weekend. They should be ashamed!

Now the only thing keeping me from driving where I want is gas prices!

Be Free.

Being Free is expensive.

Barbara

How scarey is this? News item on the radio Sunday night was that the passport offices in Montreal and Toronto were broken into and computers and passports were stolen. Yet there has not been a followup story about this anywhere. This is a major breach of security yet not another word about it in the press. What is that about?

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

My Montreal


I wanted to talk about the beautiful Island I live on. Two of these pictures I got from The CBC Montreal cam. The one on the bottom, from Old Montreal, I took last summer. I feel very fortunate I was raised on this Island. I have lived in six of her neighborhoods. I was at Expo 67 as a two year old. I was at the 1976 Olympics as a 12 year old. I have been to Allouettes, Concords, then Allouettes (again) games again as a fan with my Dad. I have been to Expos games with friends. I have been to a Habs game on Halloween. The concerts, The Jazz fest, The Just For Laughs fest, Canada Day parades, St Patricks Day parades, I was even in a Grey Cup parade.
I was at that Canada rally just before the referendum. I got a free Quebec flag that day. See that is where the sponsorship money went. It got me a free flag. Thanks Canada! No, you can't have it back!
This has been a great place to spend my first 40 years of life. I am just not sure I will spend my next 40 years here. That is still up in the air.

Go Habs Go!!!
so much left unsaid...
I love you Montreal!!!
Barbara

Unrelated to this post: George of The Hour www.cbc.ca/thehour read my email on The Hour today. It relates to his story about the F word. Cool! Thanks for responding. Nope I don't use the F word. I still love many people who do though.
Yes, I have been known to swear in French and not all French swear words are related to religion by the way.

Monday, April 24, 2006

I love horses.

What a creative woman can do with driftwood...

These horses are made of driftwood. I got an email with all kinds of pictures of her artwork but not the artist's name.
If you know of her let me know.


be Creative

Sunday, April 23, 2006

It's a girl!

I was sitting here counting my blessings and I found I have a surplus of 'em.
For a long time now I have prayed for people in need around the world.
I am not a religious person. I don't make judgments on religious people or non religious people. It's all good. I am just a spiritual person. My prayers and concerns of late have been concentrating on children in Africa. Today I took a big step for me. I got off my ass and did something for one child in Africa. I sponsored a girl in Senegal through World Vision.
Hey, this makes her my first child! That is just sinking in for me...
Ok I know that is a drop in the bucket towards helping the world. It's something I can just barely afford but, I hope it will be a blessing to that little girl, her family and her community.
It makes it more blessings back at me for making me feel good about it. So now I have even more blessings to share.
If you want to look into doing this, Google : Foster Parents Plan or World Vision, both are good.

be supportive
Barbara

Saturday, April 22, 2006

No points. Just for laughs.

  • If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
  • How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
  • If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously over looked something.
  • When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
  • Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

be happy

Barbara

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Full day


This morning I got up and got ready for a great day off.
The weather was beautiful!!! No jackets required. 20c and sunny!
A friend came over and I helped her print up her projects.
When She left, I did my taxes. *does a little I did my taxes dance*
After that I made an appointment to get my winter tires changed back to all seasons.
Then my bike tire needed a new tube so to the 'tire' store we went.
Picked up some fries for the folks on the way home.
Changed the bike tire with my Dad's help. Went for a bike ride.
Came back and broke out my new itunes music store card for some downloading time.
Downloaded a dozen great tunes. I will save the rest of the credit for another time.
Listening to it now.... *humms along* whatta mix! This is what I get for listening to you all!
Bien Bizzare! My downloads ranged from: Money by Pink Floyd to In This Life by Chantal Kreviazuk. With some James Blunt, some Hawksley Workman, some Matt Good, Lynda Ronstadt, Jann arden... and so on. This is what That Teenage Feeling is like for a woman my age.
I am sipping wine and celebrating this beautiful day and the fact that the Canadiens made it to the playoffs! What could be better?
Cheers!


be happy
Barbara

Sunday, April 16, 2006

GO HABS GO!!!

Update from the post linked on 'The Hour'.
more pics I could not fit on the update
Nicole and Radek Bonk >


Steve Bégin of Les Canadiens with Nicole.
To see the old post with new update click the link.
http://barbwheeland.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-nieces-request-just-call-him-theo.html#links

Pssssst Hey Habs! Nicole is looking for tickets gratuit. How possible is that?

Happy Easter

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Another one from my email (ty JC)

One day at a Zoo in the UK.

A bloke starts his new job at the zoo and is given three tasks. The first is to clear the exotic fish pool of weeds. As he does this a huge fish jumps out and bites him. To show the others who's boss, he beats it to death with a spade. Realising his employer won't be best pleased, he disposes of the fish by feeding it to the lions, as lions will eat anything.
Moving on to the second job of clearing out the chimpanzee house, he is attacked by the chimps who pelt him with coconuts. He swipes at two chimps with a spade, killing them both. What can he do? Feed them to the lions, he says to himself, because lions eat anything. He hurls the corpses into the lion enclosure.
He moves on to the last job, which is to collect honey from the SouthAmerican Bees. As soon as he starts he is attacked and stung by the bees. He grabs the spade and smashes the bees to a pulp. By now he knows what to do and throws them into the lion's cage - because lions eat anything.
Later that day a new lion arrives at the zoo. He wanders up to another lion and says, "What's the food like here?"The other lions say, "Absolutely brilliant. Today we had fish and chimps with mushy bees."

Cheers!
Barbara

Friday, April 14, 2006

Are your loved ones pre-planning?

Most days I don't think about death. Do you?
My parents on the other hand have done all their funeral pre-planning. I got a picture in my inbox of the what their final resting place will be. It was like a notice friends give you about what their next address will be. I am not sure what to think. It's not something I want to think about. Nice of them to be so organized about it though. It gives me a chance to look at it in a non emotional state. It might help when the time comes.
We are slightly more open about talking about death in my family than we are about talking about say...sex. I wonder what my brothers and sisters think about the periodic reminders as my Dad notifies them of the final arrangements. Maybe we'll talk about it when we get together for Mothers day. Maybe we won't. All we can do for sure is appreciate them in the moment and enjoy the family reunion.

be in the moment
Barbara

Interesting topic for Good Friday...

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

No I don't have bird flu (just because I am a chickadee)

I have a bad cold. I am getting ready right now for my 8 to 4 shift. I am scheduled on cash where I have every opportunity to sneeze in front of customers. Don't worry I disinfect my hands before I hand them their change.

After work today I have been invited by friends to a Passover dinner. This will be my second Passover dinner in as many years. There will be one non Jewish guy invited. He is single, intelligent and good looking. Do you smell a setup?
Not good timing. I will look so cute with my nose all red and running.
Oh well c'est pas grave.

I'll update later if there is anything to tell you.

be open to possibilities
Barbara
Update: I took a cold pill. That helped. The single guy did not show up because he was told a lot of beautiful women would be there and he chickened out at the last minute. Lots of woman were there. We had a great time!

Good food, good grape juice in my case, good wine for the people not taking cold medication, good company. What more do you need in life? No flu or cold is going to stop me. But I will take the next two days off to recover. Then it's time for Easter with the family.

Happy Easter, Passover, Baisakhi and what ever else you want to celebrate.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Why would a young girl take liquid laxative?

Today at work I ran into a dilemma. Mid morning I was on cash when three young teenage girls came to my cash to buy liquid laxative. I know teens don't like to spend money on stuff their mothers would buy for them. This was not something their mothers knew about, I am sure.
Do you think I am jumping to the wrong conclusion that one or all of them are anorexic ?
My gut tells me they are.
Judging by the time the girls skipped school to buy this 'medication'. I don't imagine for one minute that there was a medical need for it. I am not the pharmacist. I don't have a right to recommend or not recommend a medication. What was I going to say to these girls? What would you say to them. That they are skinny little girls going down a very unhealthy road. I don't understand them. When I was young I could not wait to grow hips and breasts. I could not wait to be a more feminine shape. Why are some girls trying to be nothing more that a skeletal frame?


be healthy
Barbara

Sunday, April 09, 2006

There is a story behind this pair of guardian dogs.
One Christmas, *in the time of Graham.
There was a couple looking forward to their first Christmas living together.
Barbara explained the tradition of exchanging stockings to Graham.
This was hoped to be a long standing tradition.
Graham shopped and prepared a nice stocking for Barbara.
Barbara shopped and prepared a nice stocking for Graham.
That Christmas morning they were both in for a surprise.
They each had chosen the same little stuffed dog to go in the stocking!
They had bought them from different places.
No peeking or consulting was detected.
Funny how this happened to two Leos who's birthdays are three days apart.
God, I miss him!
*see: 'How I Review My Life' post for this reference

I choked when I saw this.

oh sh*t that is funny. (118 posts so far, and that is as close as I get to swearing)
Have you been to Rick Mercers Blog lately?
http://rickmercer.blogspot.com
It's Bush's turn...

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Why I am not a poet.

I welcome spring back with palms, and passover and easter and tax forms.
I mourn the winters beauty gone at last.
The ice rinks are dismantled and the tennis nets are up.
The street hockey has begun in earnest, with men and boys playing the game on the patched pavement.
Time to change my tires back from winters to all seasons.
Time to plan the summers trips.

Amen

Friday, April 07, 2006

Toronto The Good

( Ah! My fav. kind of car) My dear Sister J. provided the Toronto pictures from the Eatons center and the street. She is my reporter in the field. The CN tower is from the Cams Across Ontario.



There are lots of good things to say about Toronto.

George Stroumboulopoulos of The Hour seemed concerned this week that TO was not getting the love from the Federal Government, or from fellow Canadians.

Does Toronto have a secret inferiority complex? The source of all the Toronto jokes seem to come from Toronto itself. It should be a confident city. It has everything a world class City needs!
I have visited Toronto every few years for most of my life. I have seen it grow and change. No city is an Island (unless it is an Island, like Montreal).
What I mean by that is, Toronto grew up and out with our help (with extra help from Rene Levesque), and Canada grew up being affected by what Toronto contributed to our Country and to the world. I am talking about inventions, education, medical discovery, industry, architecture , arts and entertainment.
You can talk about pollution if you want, but I am trying to put a good light on this. All cities pollute. Let's just say it's got all the city sins you would find anywhere.
What makes it unique? It depends on how you experience Toronto.
The experiences I have had there have been positive ones. In one visit, I met James Van Praagh, spotted the top four Canadian Idols coming out of the film fest, and watched a car commercial being filmed on the street. All in the same weekend!
The last time I was there The Maple Leafs were in the playoffs and they were winning. I could hear the cheering all night long. Now that is fan spirit!
I have been to the CNE, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Ontario Place, The Science Center, The ROM and the CN Towers more than a few times. It's an easy city to get around in. Getting lost, getting found, discovering new foods and new friends. It's all there.
I am never bored in TO. Maybe because I don't work there. I play there!
I think all the tourists Toronto welcomes each year give back to Toronto all the love it can handle. Don't worry about what people who don't go to TO think!
How you get the Federal love is to get their attention. You can take Quebec lead and complain, complain, complain. It works for us.
But that's boring. I think you'll have to find your own way on this one. Remember you have their pay checks. What can be sexier to the Federal Gov't than tax money?

Ok, Pep talk over!
I will be in the Toronto area around Mothers day to give you all a hug in person.
If there are any other Cities that need a hug, let me know.




Be yourself

Barbara

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Remember, half the people you know are below average.

Happy Eater.... I mean Easter. Happy Easter!


mmmmmm chocolate


Got this little gem in my email. Ty Dad and Charlie

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

grrrrrr


But we were all set for summer!

Stupid snow!

Broken glasses

Late last night I was cleaning my glasses and the bridge between the lenses snapped.
The 6 year old metal frames had met their end. I don't have an extra pair of glasses or contacts.
I was supposed to work 8am to 1pm today. I had to call in 'blind'.
I am near sighted and I would have a very hard time driving or working without glasses. You would not want me on the roads without them.
My Father stepped in and drove me to the mall early this morning. He threw a coin in the fountain and made a wish that we could find a frame to fit my lenses.
The gentleman at Lensecrafters was not as optimistic that it would be that easy.
Guess what! It was that easy. He found a frame to fit my old lenses. It was only 89$ for the new frames. Voila done. I can see again! I still need to get new glasses but I have these as a backup for now.
I was able to get an appointment due to a cancellation at my own eye doctors later today by fluke as well.
My angels do take care of me.
So does my Dad.
Thanks Dad.
Thanks Angels.

being grateful
Barbara

Oh yeah, and thanks to the Lenscrafter guy!

Monday, April 03, 2006

Take a look at this picture taken in Knowlton Quebec

what do you see in the window above the antique shop?

Maintain a healthy level of insanity (ty J.C)

Subject: 20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer at Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with That.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addiction, Switch To Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a diet water whenever you go out to eat with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, "Rock Bottom."
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."
20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity....... Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile. It's Called therapy.

Now doesn't that make you feel better?
be whatever you feel... or not
Barbara

This email is serious

Yes this is ugly subject, but it is well worth reading.

Through a Rapist's Eyes

A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.
3) They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5:00a.m. and 8:30a.m.
5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots. Number two is office parking lots/garages. Number three is public restrooms.
6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.
7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: "I can't believe it is so cold out here", "we're in for a bad winter." Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
11) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK ! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
13) If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches.
Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it hurts.
14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he's out of there.
15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!
You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
Please pass it along.
Be careful
Barbara

Sunday, April 02, 2006

An old email but a good one (ty Dad)

NEW YORK - A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a problem for us," Ashcroft said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle'."


When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."

White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the president.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

How I review my life

I noticed something about how I view my life. I think about my past in three segments. One segment is called 'The time before Graham' (that is where 36 years of my life happened). The next segment is 'the three years with Graham'. Then there is 'the time since Graham'.

This came up because I found a concert stub of the last concert I paid to go to. It was in 2001.
Here is a pic. It was in the time before Graham when I was living with another guy. Great seats! Fun concert! The BareNaked Ladies know how to put on a great show. {But my date did not clap, dance or in any way participate as a concert goer should. He was a waste of a good ticket! Well he was not always a waste of a good ticket. To be fair my first date with him was a Bryan Adams concert nine years earlier. How people change.}

I do recall some free concerts since that time. The Montreal Jazz Fest, April Wine, Classical Music in the park, but those I went to alone. That was in the time of Graham, but when he was ill, in the third year.
He just reminded me that we went to the Highland Games together and enjoyed live Irish music in the beer tent. That was in our second summer together.

We have had a lot of fun together. In good times and bad you can still enjoy a laugh, share a song, fly a kite, or just hold hands. Life is short! Enjoy the time you got with the people you love.




If it's just you then go out and enjoy yourself.

hmmm where did the CN Tower go?





The other day.

This mornings picture >>