I may have mentioned elsewhere that my daughter has been struggling in school. It was recognized in kindergarden, but because of a year-long stint in an Anishnaabe school that was also language-based, it wasn't identified as early as it might have been had she started out in the public school system. Early testing identified a possible learning disability, leading to more testing (and expense) from a private clinic that specialized in such areas. (in her case: visual perception/short term...

I've had a strange day that involved in a multitude of emotions, all experienced within minutes of each other. And funny that I went through so much, but have so little to say about it all. I'm on my last week of days, and then it's back to nights. 6 am start times this week, and then on to 3:30 pm starts the next. I think it should be illegal to post these kind of shifts in this way. My body hates my job, simply put. And for those who don't want that much information, skip to the nex...

Sleep, wake up, wash, eat, go to work, eat, wash, sleep, repeat. Day in and day out... it's bloody monotonous. Am I alive? Has anything changed? I've talked to thousands this week and I've never felt so bloody distanced from the world. Occasionally there's standout moments in an otherwise blur of the fucking same old, same old. A good laugh with a buddy, a smile with a friend. More often though, a brief moment of pure rage when finally prodded hard enough, but never enough to...

I'm preparing for a new episode and it looks like it's going to be good. I have to state that Lost is one of the smartest shows out there, and is great for a person like me. There's so many clues, and so many things that I miss during an episode that repeats aren't scorned, rather appreciated to begin scouring for more. Lost is television crack. Everything is fed in little teasers, and it's impossible not to want to see what's going to happen next. For the devil inside, there's...

I frequently experience little daily horrors. To me, its what happens when I'm both greatly amused at something, and at the same moment understand that it's not amusing but wrong . I was in the car with my sister yesterday, and from out of nowhere she says, "You ever hear of Indian bumping?" Already I had started to smile and I shook my head and asked for clarification, "You mean East Indians or Native Canadian Aboriginal Peoples..." "Us, you idiot," she grinned back. "No, what ...

I spent the afternoon reading a couple of blog entries both here and elsewhere. Most of it was shite. There were a few stand-outs, however. I especially enjoyed the in-your-face, tell-it-like-it-is posts, without ODing on the intensity and anger. Snarky is cool. Verbal abuse is just oh-so-boring. I forgot to mark the good ones, and there's no returning to them again. Lost. Forever. If I came across my own blog, on a good day I'd be intrigued, but most days, it's just rather bland, like...

Shovelheat wrote an amazing kicker of a story here Link and it definitely got me thinking about a lot of things. Firstly, just how far off is your average person from crazy? I'm not kidding when I say that I definitely question this on a regular basis at work. People fly off the handle in a heartbeat, and due to anger and frustration, people have screamed the most horrid and surprising things at me. What gets me, is that typically half of these calls start off being normal. The person...

I must admit that I'm not that relaxed in front of the camera. I'm not insecure about my figure, but I'm not flamboyant about it, either. An acquaintance mentioned having modeled for an art class, and I was intrigued by it. She is not waif-like at all, but from an artist's perspective, I can see how drawing her form would be of interest. Her hair is generally a riot of curls, and she's got a real curvy figure. Having taken art classes thoughout school and university, I've also had an opp...

In effort to prevent something short of a nuclear fallout, I've avoided all articles about race, homosexuality and abortion lately. I can be honest and state that I have some pretty strong opinions and automatically feel that people who express differing opinions than my own are Neanderthal, ignorant, and unintelligent. However, that's just gut instinct kicking in, and on more than one occasion, when I lift my own blinders, I understand the point that others can make in opposition. It's d...

With all the daily hassle of work, arranging for childcare, budgeting what little money I have after monthly bills are met, I know exactly why I'm doing it all. My girl is happy, and is a healthy, strong and independent child. I wish I had more time. I wish I didn't feel as if I missed so much while working. I feel bad for missing Christmas parties, birthday parties and playdates. Sometimes I feel that Kole's teacher and the parents of her friends think that I'm this non-existent figure...

Some things have happened really quickly... I've been working pretty hard, lately. It sounds silly to admit it, but I've been busting my ass at work to try to make some form of improvement so that I can move up in the company. For anyone who works in a customer care environment, then the realities of the situation are known. It's not a fun job, overall. The plain truth is, when someone contacts customer care, it's rarely to give thanks for a job well done, but to do the opposite. And w...

I spent the majority of the day jumping through rings in order to get a common prescription... Okay. I am dumb. I knew for sometime (like over a year) that my health card was missing. Since I no longer have a doctor in my hometown, I managed to make it this far by only going to the walk-in clinic in the city where I grew up, and to the hospital here, for what turned out to be a concussion. In both instances, I only had to sign a consent form where the clinic/hospital would send on to t...

old people scare me... I think really old ladies' skin will tear away with the slightest pressure, and I suck in my breath every time I see the old man from the retirement complex attempt to board the bus. Unlike children who are just learning how to walk, they have a resiliency that old people simply don't possess. A wipeout for them is just par for the course. But if Mr. Mathers was to take one wrong step, I'm positive that the wail of an ambulance would be forthcoming. On a day l...

We've got a great big bottle o' rum, and lotsa frozen strawberries. What do you got? (list any additional ingredients needed and a how-to guide.) Cheers!

I'm noticably lighter in color than my sister. At the first hint of summer, we head for the beach, even if it's really too cold to swim for long. We bring everything that day: beach blankets, towels, campchairs, snacks and a big Thermos full of iced-tea. We're already dressed in our swimsuits (she buys a new one each year, and starts the first day out complaining and enquiring about how she looks in it, I've worn the same suit for the past 6 years now, and I'm not planning on buying a ...