What a comforting sound to hear rain on the roof in the night. It's been a long time since we have had a good long, thick rain. I am glad to see it. I have friends who are camping, and I wish they weren't out there in their tents, but aside from that, rain is good. Sitting in my warm kitchen, looking at the water dripping off of the rhododendrons is cozy and delicious.
When we were little and Mom and Dad took us camping at Douglas Fir or Silver Fir campground near Mount Baker, we would retreat to the picnic shelter on rainy days. I remember a big box of 64 crayolas and grill cheese sandwiches with homemade bread and cheddar cheese, and Campbell's soup made for our lunch on a Coleman stove. Walking through the forest in rubber boots, the ground stayed dry for a long time, protected by the high, dense canopy.
The dog likes the rain too. She has such thick fur she doesn't get soaked to the skin, and when we get inside I dry her with a towel. She loves that. Sometimes when I am folding laundry she comes and looks at me with longing, so I have to pretend that she is wet, and "dry" her all off with one of my towels that I have just folded, she loves it so much.
Rain rain stay today.
question: Will it rain enough today to soak down to the roots?
mompoet - wearing warm socks
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Saturday, May 14, 2005
This is good
Papaya Cashew Salsa
(Recipe from the Vancouver Sun - they called it chutney, but I think it's a salsa)
Serve this wherever you would any other salsa - with beef, chicken, eggs, vegetables, chips...I served leftover on wheat thins with cream cheese...
1 cup diced fresh papaya
2 Tbs finely chopped red onion
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 Tbs brown sugar
Juice of one lime
1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)
Mix up all of the ingredients. Let sit for a while and stir again before serving. Leftover keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Mango can be substituted if papya is unavailable. Luckily we live in Vancouver so papaya is always available. Mango would be good too though.
question: don't you love this time of year at the veggie store?
mompoet - luxuriating in spring's bounty
(Recipe from the Vancouver Sun - they called it chutney, but I think it's a salsa)
Serve this wherever you would any other salsa - with beef, chicken, eggs, vegetables, chips...I served leftover on wheat thins with cream cheese...
1 cup diced fresh papaya
2 Tbs finely chopped red onion
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 Tbs brown sugar
Juice of one lime
1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)
Mix up all of the ingredients. Let sit for a while and stir again before serving. Leftover keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Mango can be substituted if papya is unavailable. Luckily we live in Vancouver so papaya is always available. Mango would be good too though.
question: don't you love this time of year at the veggie store?
mompoet - luxuriating in spring's bounty
Friday, May 13, 2005
Didn't Know this Existed
I saw these guys doing their thing outside the gas station Wednesday morning:
http://www.pacificbarkblowers.com/
They had a big truck and a long hose that looked like a vaccum hose but worked in reverse. They were blowing bark onto the garden beds. The sign on the truck said:
"Bark, compost or soil blown ANYWHERE you want!"
On the steps of the Legislature??
I don't know, I guess it's a cost-effective way to pretty up garden beds, but it seems to me to be in the same category as the power washer for leaves or blossoms on the driveway. Why use gallons of high-pressure water when a broom will work too? Why blow mulch with a big noisy truck when you could dump, shovel and rake. I suspect it's a guy thing.
question: why blow?
mompoet - slow and simple most of the time
http://www.pacificbarkblowers.com/
They had a big truck and a long hose that looked like a vaccum hose but worked in reverse. They were blowing bark onto the garden beds. The sign on the truck said:
"Bark, compost or soil blown ANYWHERE you want!"
On the steps of the Legislature??
I don't know, I guess it's a cost-effective way to pretty up garden beds, but it seems to me to be in the same category as the power washer for leaves or blossoms on the driveway. Why use gallons of high-pressure water when a broom will work too? Why blow mulch with a big noisy truck when you could dump, shovel and rake. I suspect it's a guy thing.
question: why blow?
mompoet - slow and simple most of the time
wild life
When I came home from canvassing last night around 8:15 a small bat flew right past my head just outside our front door. It was tiny and fast - woulda thought it was a bird if I hadn't seen one before.
This morning I was walking the dog down the street and I heard a metallic drumming sound. I knew right away it was a woodpecker but I had to get closer and look around to figure out where. The little guy was hammering away on a metal stop sign. He was a beauty - no more than a handspan from tip to tip, with a scarlet head and dappled black and white body. A car drove by and scared him off the sign into a cherry tree - probably better pickings there. But when I came out of the trees onto the upper road there he was again, banging on another sign - maybe he was signalling to a female woodpecker? Does that really impress them? I guess loud sustained hammering indicates the ability to find lots of bugs and grubs for the nest?
We also have crows, robins, chickadees and a predominance of starlings. Something is always flying (or banging) around here.
question: rat a tat?
mompoet - earthbound
This morning I was walking the dog down the street and I heard a metallic drumming sound. I knew right away it was a woodpecker but I had to get closer and look around to figure out where. The little guy was hammering away on a metal stop sign. He was a beauty - no more than a handspan from tip to tip, with a scarlet head and dappled black and white body. A car drove by and scared him off the sign into a cherry tree - probably better pickings there. But when I came out of the trees onto the upper road there he was again, banging on another sign - maybe he was signalling to a female woodpecker? Does that really impress them? I guess loud sustained hammering indicates the ability to find lots of bugs and grubs for the nest?
We also have crows, robins, chickadees and a predominance of starlings. Something is always flying (or banging) around here.
question: rat a tat?
mompoet - earthbound
Piaf I like
I have found my first favourite Edith Piaf song. It's called "Rien de Rien." I understand a few of the words, but that's not why I love it. It's the tone and spirit of the song. Piaf sounds like she is having an argument - with someone else or herself, I'm not sure. There's frustration, fury, sarcasm and irony, and a saucy, snappy sound. I play it 2 or 3 times and grin.
Andy and I will have supper tomorrow with Michele and her husband Brent. I'm going to ask her some questions about Edith Piaf. I want to do some internet reading too, but I will stick by my promise: no translations. Promise.
question: je me demande pourquoi pas???
mompoet - something for sure
Andy and I will have supper tomorrow with Michele and her husband Brent. I'm going to ask her some questions about Edith Piaf. I want to do some internet reading too, but I will stick by my promise: no translations. Promise.
question: je me demande pourquoi pas???
mompoet - something for sure
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
The campaign
Now that the Beast show is over, I am trying to help out as much as I can on the campaign of our local candidate, Karen Rockwell. I've already been out canvassing with her. Now I have begun another door-to-door job, this time a poll. I have to go to the house, ask the person who comes to the door if he or she has decided about voting, and if so who...Then I record the response. There are also ideas for how to talk to undecideds about their choices. I have to take it all back to the campaign office on Saturday. Meantime there's a couple of hundred doors waiting for me. Politi-son is helping. It's good experience for him, and I love his company. He is funny and insightful.
The other night I went to the CUPE BC office and phoned CUPE members living in a couple of ridings and asked the same sort of questions. It's interesting talking to people about their vote. Some are very definite, others very secretive and many seem embarassed or confused. I guess it's a personal question, and maybe I'm intimidating or intrusive just grinning at their door and saying "Hey there neighbour, Who you gonna vote fer?" Oh well. It helps the campaign and now I know even more which dogs belong to which houses.
On election day I've booked off work so I can work all day at a poll. My friend warned me if I'm a "scrutineer" everyone will feel hostile toward me like I'm trying to catch them doing something wrong or impose my point of view. That will be interesting.
question: will this make a difference?
mompoet - maybe to the outcome, certainly to my outlook
The other night I went to the CUPE BC office and phoned CUPE members living in a couple of ridings and asked the same sort of questions. It's interesting talking to people about their vote. Some are very definite, others very secretive and many seem embarassed or confused. I guess it's a personal question, and maybe I'm intimidating or intrusive just grinning at their door and saying "Hey there neighbour, Who you gonna vote fer?" Oh well. It helps the campaign and now I know even more which dogs belong to which houses.
On election day I've booked off work so I can work all day at a poll. My friend warned me if I'm a "scrutineer" everyone will feel hostile toward me like I'm trying to catch them doing something wrong or impose my point of view. That will be interesting.
question: will this make a difference?
mompoet - maybe to the outcome, certainly to my outlook
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
One more suspicious thing about french
At the Slam Semi-Finals last week, feature poet Rives from the Hollywood slam did a great story of a love poem that he wrote, then translated into Italian and back into English using babblefish.com (an on-line automatic language translation program) It was hilarious.
Thinking about french, I went to babblefish and translated the first few lines of an old favourite into french, then back into english. Something fishy here - or maybe owly?
The hibou and the minou went to the sea in a beautiful green boat apple. They took some honey and enough of packed money increase in a five book the grade. The hibou looked for to the moon above and sang to his small guitar, « O the pussycat charming, the pussycat of O my love, this that a beautiful pussycat that you are, you are. What a beautiful pussycat that you are they! »
You should see what babblefish does to "O Canada" when you translate the song into German and back into English. It's fun, give it a try.
question: would you rather sail away in a pea, or in an apple?
question: what would babblefish do with "bong tree?"
mompoet - immature and trivia-obsessed
Thinking about french, I went to babblefish and translated the first few lines of an old favourite into french, then back into english. Something fishy here - or maybe owly?
The hibou and the minou went to the sea in a beautiful green boat apple. They took some honey and enough of packed money increase in a five book the grade. The hibou looked for to the moon above and sang to his small guitar, « O the pussycat charming, the pussycat of O my love, this that a beautiful pussycat that you are, you are. What a beautiful pussycat that you are they! »
You should see what babblefish does to "O Canada" when you translate the song into German and back into English. It's fun, give it a try.
question: would you rather sail away in a pea, or in an apple?
question: what would babblefish do with "bong tree?"
mompoet - immature and trivia-obsessed
How to have fun when you study
even when the study cards get lost and you can't find them and you have to write them all over again and you feel tired:
Finish the real study cards then put some funny ones in that will make your daughter laugh. Here are a couple of samples:
Q: Why did Mrs. Aldrin name her boy Edwin?
A: She wanted to name him Walter but the dog was already named Walter.
Q: What is the name of Saturn's third moon?
A: Jellywog Paprika bunny
Q: What kind of pizzas do they eat on Mars?
A: They eat tortellini on Mars, not pizza!
Q: What two planets look like avocados?
A: Peter and Amanda
and the perennial
Q: What is Uranus made of?
A: Gas
(Which is actually true)
and the total and final silly
Q: What is Neil Armstrong's favourite potato song?
A: Hoppity-hop, I'm a Moon-Spud Wolly-Goggle Yadda Yadda Yadda Boom
(Neil Armstrong was not as musical as Louis Armstrong)
I sure hope the teacher asks the kids to hand in their cards for extra points. I love it when he does that and we have laced the deck with silly cards.
question: If it ain't fun then what good is it?
mompoet - Wolly-Gogglin' along
Finish the real study cards then put some funny ones in that will make your daughter laugh. Here are a couple of samples:
Q: Why did Mrs. Aldrin name her boy Edwin?
A: She wanted to name him Walter but the dog was already named Walter.
Q: What is the name of Saturn's third moon?
A: Jellywog Paprika bunny
Q: What kind of pizzas do they eat on Mars?
A: They eat tortellini on Mars, not pizza!
Q: What two planets look like avocados?
A: Peter and Amanda
and the perennial
Q: What is Uranus made of?
A: Gas
(Which is actually true)
and the total and final silly
Q: What is Neil Armstrong's favourite potato song?
A: Hoppity-hop, I'm a Moon-Spud Wolly-Goggle Yadda Yadda Yadda Boom
(Neil Armstrong was not as musical as Louis Armstrong)
I sure hope the teacher asks the kids to hand in their cards for extra points. I love it when he does that and we have laced the deck with silly cards.
question: If it ain't fun then what good is it?
mompoet - Wolly-Gogglin' along
Dad says my french is no good and words aren't always important
This from my dad in response to my last post:
I'm sure my French is much poorer than yours, but "arachnide" didn't sound right. I have a program which accesses various translation engines and according to http://www.travlang.com neither "arachnide" nor
I'm sure my French is much poorer than yours, but "arachnide" didn't sound right. I have a program which accesses various translation engines and according to http://www.travlang.com neither "arachnide" nor
"arachnid" are French words. Translating from English to French, "spider" becomes "araignee" where the first "e" has an acute accent. (I didn't type the e with acute accent because Macs and Windows machines use different keys for such things; anything which uses the Option key on a Mac or the Alt key on a Windows machine is not to be trusted, and one is advised never to use such characters when cross-platform problems might arise.) "Arachide" does translate to "peanut", as anyone who has looked at a Canadian peanut butter jar knows.
There is more to music than the words. In fact I would argue that good vocal music has to be enjoyable whether you understand the words or not. Bach has a way of treating a vocal soloist as if he or she were another instrument, and there will be sections where he uses a singer and a violin much the same way that he might have used a flute and a violin. If you listen to things like his B minor mass, or the St. Matthew Passion, or the Christmas Oratorio, you can pretty well figure out what is going on whether you know any German or not. But there aren't very many Bachs.
Dad
Monday, May 09, 2005
I am going crazy in french
Ou est la parachute de mon arachide? Elle est une pamplemousse parachute ce n'est pas? Oui, je suis une arachnide pamplemouse parapluie!!!!
I am going crazy listening to songs in French. I hate it! I can't stop trying to understand what the words mean in English. There are just enough that I recognize so I want to know, but I can't! There is music like the Wizard of Oz when the wicked witch comes, and flamenco guitars and billowing harps and some accordions and a passionate voice with a torrent of words that I can't get.
Michele, I will get you back.
I still love you.
question: parapluie pas?
mompoet - la chat d'aujourd hui
I am going crazy listening to songs in French. I hate it! I can't stop trying to understand what the words mean in English. There are just enough that I recognize so I want to know, but I can't! There is music like the Wizard of Oz when the wicked witch comes, and flamenco guitars and billowing harps and some accordions and a passionate voice with a torrent of words that I can't get.
Michele, I will get you back.
I still love you.
question: parapluie pas?
mompoet - la chat d'aujourd hui
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Lotsa Coaster
I rode The Coaster 21 times today. So now I'm up to 25 (one quarter of the way to my goal of 100 this year). There won't be another day as easy as this one, I'm sure. It was Mother's Day, and it was raining lightly. Most of the time there were zero lineups. We just kept getting off the ride, running around to the loading zone and going again. We paused for lunch after about 15 rides then continued. It was lovely. On ride number 8 my cell phone popped out of my pants pocket and went flying into the grass beneath the ride. One of the maintenance guys retrieved it for me just a few minutes later, no damage done. I rode on the front and the back and in the middle, with Andrew and solo. Riding solo in the front is definitely the very best. Daughter and son each brought a friend, and Andrew decided to leave a bit early to spend some time with his mom. So I was all on my own for ride number 21, which was sweet - bright grey sky, everything damp and fresh, the slopes and curves as familiar as a favourite song. After it was over I found the kids and we headed for home. It was a good Mother's Day.
question: is this the definition of "time well wasted?"
mompoet - maximum elevation and acceleration
question: is this the definition of "time well wasted?"
mompoet - maximum elevation and acceleration
the real song in my head
Can't stop hearing these words...
Beautiful world
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s a beautiful world we live in
A sweet romantic place
Beautiful people everywhere
The way they show they care
Makes me want to say
It’s a beautiful world
For you
It’s a wonderful time to be here
It’s nice to be alive
Wonderful people everywhere
The way they comb their hair
Makes me want to say
It’s a wonderful place
For you
Hey
Tell me what I say
Boy ’n’ girl with the new clothes on
You can shake it to me all night long
Hey hey
It’s not for me
I haven't listened to DEVO in years but there it is. Listen to one thing and it shakes loose something else I didn't even know I had stored.
question: what's in the back of your brain closet?
mompoet - for us all today, I hope
Beautiful world
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s a beautiful world we live in
A sweet romantic place
Beautiful people everywhere
The way they show they care
Makes me want to say
It’s a beautiful world
For you
It’s a wonderful time to be here
It’s nice to be alive
Wonderful people everywhere
The way they comb their hair
Makes me want to say
It’s a wonderful place
For you
Hey
Tell me what I say
Boy ’n’ girl with the new clothes on
You can shake it to me all night long
Hey hey
It’s not for me
I haven't listened to DEVO in years but there it is. Listen to one thing and it shakes loose something else I didn't even know I had stored.
question: what's in the back of your brain closet?
mompoet - for us all today, I hope
gotta get me a chic little dress
and tie my hair up in a silk scarf and wear expensive sunglasses and drive a 1950's convertible with some fins. Then listening to Edith Piaf while I drive the car would fit. I will practise throwing my head back and laughing with a french accent....
question: pourquoi pas?
mompoet - putting on jeans and going to Playland for Mother's Day
question: pourquoi pas?
mompoet - putting on jeans and going to Playland for Mother's Day
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Big Fish Day
Today I helped out while about 1,000 neighbours came to the community school and put fingerling salmon into Stoney Creek. Ujjal Dosanjh was there. So was Bill Siksay, who used to be Svend Robinson's assistant but is now a North Burnaby MP. So were the local provincial candidates. And the media came out in waves...The creek was full of big fish, actually.
The little fish swam, oblivious to the hullaballoo. I saw a 20 year old volunteer get misty about letting 3 little critters into the creek. She'd never done that before. Holding a live fish in your hand and sending it out with hope that it will become an adult and make lots more fish one day is a moving experience.
I also saw a 230 pound dog, which stayed out of the creek like a good dog. Owner is a gillnet fisherman who honours the work of the streamkeepers. It really was a love and procreation festival, you know. The dog's name is Mr. Marshall and he let me pet him. His head was the size of a lawn chair.
As volunteer coordinator, I got to manage about 50 secondary students working at the event, hosting info booths, guarding the parking lot, welcoming guests and working the sound system on the entertainment stage. That's the best part for me. Most of these kids have been coming to the festival since they were in kindergarten or preschool. By the time they're 15, 16, 17 you'd think they would be too cool to play with fish, but they come and help, with remarkable talent and enthusiasm. Every time I do this my confidence in the future of the world is restored. These guys will be taking care of business when we are old. We will be okay!
By the way, they ate 5 dozen muffins, 50 cups of coffee, 15 litres of orange juice and some tea. We also fed them lunch.
I love my job, I love my community. Working Saturday is okay when it's something like this.
question: ever let a fish go? did you like it?
mompoet - just lucky I guess
The little fish swam, oblivious to the hullaballoo. I saw a 20 year old volunteer get misty about letting 3 little critters into the creek. She'd never done that before. Holding a live fish in your hand and sending it out with hope that it will become an adult and make lots more fish one day is a moving experience.
I also saw a 230 pound dog, which stayed out of the creek like a good dog. Owner is a gillnet fisherman who honours the work of the streamkeepers. It really was a love and procreation festival, you know. The dog's name is Mr. Marshall and he let me pet him. His head was the size of a lawn chair.
As volunteer coordinator, I got to manage about 50 secondary students working at the event, hosting info booths, guarding the parking lot, welcoming guests and working the sound system on the entertainment stage. That's the best part for me. Most of these kids have been coming to the festival since they were in kindergarten or preschool. By the time they're 15, 16, 17 you'd think they would be too cool to play with fish, but they come and help, with remarkable talent and enthusiasm. Every time I do this my confidence in the future of the world is restored. These guys will be taking care of business when we are old. We will be okay!
By the way, they ate 5 dozen muffins, 50 cups of coffee, 15 litres of orange juice and some tea. We also fed them lunch.
I love my job, I love my community. Working Saturday is okay when it's something like this.
question: ever let a fish go? did you like it?
mompoet - just lucky I guess
One more thing about the birthday boy
He was due to be born 3 days after Mother's Day. I remember thinking, "I will have to wait a whole year to be a mom on Mother's Day." Then he was born 10 days early. I actually had to call in to work from the hospital ("ER...I can't come to work today, I'm having a baby instead). So he was born one week before Mother's Day and I didn't have to wait. What a nice kid, huh?
question: don't you love it when good things come early?
mompoet - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO EVERY MOM!
question: don't you love it when good things come early?
mompoet - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO EVERY MOM!
Sound Journal Update - Number 9 is in the works
Michele loaned me Edith Piaf. She sang in French.
Michele says that I relate to the lyrics so strongly that it will be good for me to listen to the music without understanding the words. She says that the emotion and energy of the music will come through, no matter what the language.
Michele is wise. She also knows me well enough to nudge me away from my comfort zone. This is a polite way of saying she doesn't mind seeing me squirm once in a while.
I love you Michele. I will listen to Edith Piaf and I will enjoy and understand the music. I will not look up the translations until after my journal is posted. Promise.
question: Bonjour Guy, ca va?
mompoet - out the door to send salmon swimming to the sea all day
Michele says that I relate to the lyrics so strongly that it will be good for me to listen to the music without understanding the words. She says that the emotion and energy of the music will come through, no matter what the language.
Michele is wise. She also knows me well enough to nudge me away from my comfort zone. This is a polite way of saying she doesn't mind seeing me squirm once in a while.
I love you Michele. I will listen to Edith Piaf and I will enjoy and understand the music. I will not look up the translations until after my journal is posted. Promise.
question: Bonjour Guy, ca va?
mompoet - out the door to send salmon swimming to the sea all day
Friday, May 06, 2005
We have a Fifteen Year Old
Happy Birthday Alex! You are 15 today. You are bigger than I am, and more hairy (well, most days) and I can slip on your shoes without unlacing them when I need to take out the trash.
Fifteen years ago I had absolutely no idea what life would be like with you in it. Now that I know, I'm glad nobody could have told me. It's very exciting just figuring it out as we go along.
You are now allowed to drink coffee. You already ride the bus by yourself. Soon we'll stop telling you when to go to bed. Funny, we usually go to bed before you do, these days, but you know when we expect you to turn in, and you're very precise about honouring that.
Thanks Bud, for being such a remarkable person. You are a very important part of my growing up. I'm glad to be part of yours.
question: how did the time go by so fast?
mompoet - experienced
Fifteen years ago I had absolutely no idea what life would be like with you in it. Now that I know, I'm glad nobody could have told me. It's very exciting just figuring it out as we go along.
You are now allowed to drink coffee. You already ride the bus by yourself. Soon we'll stop telling you when to go to bed. Funny, we usually go to bed before you do, these days, but you know when we expect you to turn in, and you're very precise about honouring that.
Thanks Bud, for being such a remarkable person. You are a very important part of my growing up. I'm glad to be part of yours.
question: how did the time go by so fast?
mompoet - experienced
Boredom Part 4 - The end
I'm sorry this is posted late...shaw has been up and down today, so I hope you can still find a copy of Friday's Vancouver Sun if you are interested. You need a secret code and a million dollars to read their articles on the web, unfortunately.
I was going to write about why people are bored, but I won't because this morning's Vancouver Sun has a 2-page special report on boredom. There are historical, philosophical and psychological perspectives, suggestions for overcoming or re-framing boredom and thoughts about boredom as a product of anxiety and the pyschological link between boredom and death.
The articles in the report say more better than I could. I think they are right on.
All of this has got me thinking about my own relationship with boredom. I am almost always busy and enthusiastic, able to see the positive side of things. I generally think almost everything is funny in one way or another. But I have a sneaking suspicious that part of my busy-happy persona is fear. Of what, I do not know. I'm sure not going to stop enjoying life, but it's like I got a glimpse of that sad river again. What is it? It's natural to be afraid or angry sometimes, and I know I'm not good at acknowledging or accepting those emotions in myself or in other people.
It's interesting to me. I'll put this in the cooker (that autopilot part of my consciousness that solves problems while I am swimming) and see if I can figure it out. I don't want to be bored, or sad, or dead. I'm just curious.
question: is that enough about boring?
mompoet - enough for me, for now
I was going to write about why people are bored, but I won't because this morning's Vancouver Sun has a 2-page special report on boredom. There are historical, philosophical and psychological perspectives, suggestions for overcoming or re-framing boredom and thoughts about boredom as a product of anxiety and the pyschological link between boredom and death.
The articles in the report say more better than I could. I think they are right on.
All of this has got me thinking about my own relationship with boredom. I am almost always busy and enthusiastic, able to see the positive side of things. I generally think almost everything is funny in one way or another. But I have a sneaking suspicious that part of my busy-happy persona is fear. Of what, I do not know. I'm sure not going to stop enjoying life, but it's like I got a glimpse of that sad river again. What is it? It's natural to be afraid or angry sometimes, and I know I'm not good at acknowledging or accepting those emotions in myself or in other people.
It's interesting to me. I'll put this in the cooker (that autopilot part of my consciousness that solves problems while I am swimming) and see if I can figure it out. I don't want to be bored, or sad, or dead. I'm just curious.
question: is that enough about boring?
mompoet - enough for me, for now
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Boring when I thought it would be fun
We had an Employee Safety Fair today. It was not boring. It was spectacular, and I'm not just saying that because Kathy organized it and she reads my blog. We got a free hot dog and chips and an extra half hour for our lunch break, and there was disaster relief, shoes for walking on ice, drunk goggles and a roulette wheel (I won a City of Burnaby pin!)
But the big draw was YOU GET TO SPRAY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!! I was so excited about this. I was never one of those kids who ripped the fire extinguisher off the wall at school. I have never used my wee little extinguishers at home. AND THERE WAS GOING TO BE A REAL, FULL-SIZE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND A FIREMAN TO SHOW US HOW TO USE IT!!! So we got there and looked at the displays and ate our safety fair hot dogs, cooked safely and served safely. They even gave us sunscreen towelettes for sitting outside at lunchtime.
So I saved the fire extinguisher for after lunch - best for last you know. I envisioned a furious spray of high pressure flame retardant spewing from the writhing nozzle, and helpful firefighters bracing me so it did not propel me out of the parking lot. It was going to be so exciting!!!
Well, it wasn't like that. It was a big extinguisher, and a large firefighter, but discharging it was more like kicking a puffball than spraying the heck out of an inferno. The stuff that came out reminded me of the theatrical smoke that they use in plays, not a high-powered stream that could knock over a Volkswagen.
Oh well. Sometimes things aren't like you think they will be.
At least the Safety Fair was good. I'll take a miss on the hot dog next time.
question: I wonder if they'll let me try a real fire hose some time?
mompoet - exploring my masculine side
But the big draw was YOU GET TO SPRAY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!! I was so excited about this. I was never one of those kids who ripped the fire extinguisher off the wall at school. I have never used my wee little extinguishers at home. AND THERE WAS GOING TO BE A REAL, FULL-SIZE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND A FIREMAN TO SHOW US HOW TO USE IT!!! So we got there and looked at the displays and ate our safety fair hot dogs, cooked safely and served safely. They even gave us sunscreen towelettes for sitting outside at lunchtime.
So I saved the fire extinguisher for after lunch - best for last you know. I envisioned a furious spray of high pressure flame retardant spewing from the writhing nozzle, and helpful firefighters bracing me so it did not propel me out of the parking lot. It was going to be so exciting!!!
Well, it wasn't like that. It was a big extinguisher, and a large firefighter, but discharging it was more like kicking a puffball than spraying the heck out of an inferno. The stuff that came out reminded me of the theatrical smoke that they use in plays, not a high-powered stream that could knock over a Volkswagen.
Oh well. Sometimes things aren't like you think they will be.
At least the Safety Fair was good. I'll take a miss on the hot dog next time.
question: I wonder if they'll let me try a real fire hose some time?
mompoet - exploring my masculine side
Mother's Day
My daughter knows what to say. I hinted that she could enter me in the CityTV Mothe's Day makeover contest. She said, "You wouldn't win. You are already pretty."
She's a sweetie, huh?
mompoet - work in progress
She's a sweetie, huh?
mompoet - work in progress
Boring Part 3 - Boring is Power and Control
My Dad emailed me the correct spelling of Vaughan Palmer's name so I told him I wrote Van on purpose. I was modeling ignorant and overbearing, both wonderful attributes to boring conversation. I hope somebody got that part....or maybe it really was so boring that you didn't notice? Good.
Today's boring example, more detail than one person can possibly bear:
I went to the gym on Wednesday for my cycle class. I always choose bike number 24, except if somebody else gets to it before me. Most of the time I get bike 24. It's my favourite. I set up the heart rate monitor and adjusted the seat and the handlebars. I like the handlebars high and the seat high and all the way forward. I prefer the seat adjuster lever on bike 24 because it's the new kind that is an actual lever. The older bikes have a lift and slide mechanism that is not as reliable. With the lever, you can tighten it (approximately 2.5 turns for bike 24) and you can be sure that it is very tight and the seat will not slide back. I brought my water bottle with a purple lid which is also my favourite water bottle. It holds one litre of water if you leave 2.3 cm headspace. If you fill it completely to the top, it holds just a fraction more than one litre of water. I put the water bottle into the water bottle holder on the bike. Some people put their water bottles on the handlebars. I like to use the water bottle holder. The water bottle holder on bike 24 is the perfect fit for my water bottle with the purple lid that holds just a little more than 1 litre when I completely fill it. I clipped the foot pedals on. I like the foot pedals on bike 24. They do not creak and the clip mechanism is very reliable. On some of the other bikes, the clips come undone, or need to be readjusted which is distracting. I just like to clip the pedals on and be done with it. It takes me approximately 20 seconds to get both clips done up tight. I position my foot on each pedal about 5cm back from the front of the cage, which is set up to accommodate large feet. When I began to pedal, I noticed that the bike mechanic must have adjusted the flywheel tension on bike 24. Flywheel tension is the most important thing about a bike. When you know your tension, you can regulate the resistance very reliably and quickly, and with ease of adjustment. Bike 24 usually adjusts to 20% max load at 2 clicks and 100% at 6 clicks, which is not a lot. Many of the bikes have a range of 8-10 clicks to get to maximum, so bike 24 is already relatively tight in its flywheel adjustment. Interestingly, at maximum tension, bike 24 is not immovable. I know this because we put on full tension to still the wheel for calf stretches at the end of the class, and bike 24's pedals budge even when the tension is torqued on pretty hard. But yesterday, when I sat down to pedal I noticed that 20% tension was on at 1 click, 50% at 2 clicks and 100% at about 4 clicks, which is much tighter than usual. The shorter range from minimum to maximum allowed for fewer fine adjustments and made gradual increases and decreases in tension very challenging. You can adjust between clicks, but it's very distracting. To make things worse, once the tension was clicked on, I found it very difficult to release. The lever is relatively small, probably so it will not get in the way during the exercise session, but that also provides less leverage. Normally on bike 24, releasing the tension is very easy. Yesterday I found it very difficult, which is unusual, like I said. I found that the only way I could release the tension lever was to brace my hand on the upright above the flywheel and squeeze the lever closed with my thumb. All other methods yielded no results and/or irritated my tendonitis in my elbow, and that is very distracting.
Okay, you get the idea. Who cares about bike 24???? But there it is. Too much information is also boring.
Too much information-type boring is sometimes the kind of boring that people use to control conversations. Think of it as a filibuster. Combined with a dull and unrelenting delivery, this approach is very effective at just shutting down what anybody else has to say. The poor listener can't get a word in, and the monotony of the monologue has a hypnotic effect. When I figured this out, I understood that there is a secret power to boring. Use it wisely, Grasshopper.
question: Can you stand another day of this? because I have a theory about why people are bored...
mompoet - as usual, tripping past enough to someplace in excess of enough
Today's boring example, more detail than one person can possibly bear:
I went to the gym on Wednesday for my cycle class. I always choose bike number 24, except if somebody else gets to it before me. Most of the time I get bike 24. It's my favourite. I set up the heart rate monitor and adjusted the seat and the handlebars. I like the handlebars high and the seat high and all the way forward. I prefer the seat adjuster lever on bike 24 because it's the new kind that is an actual lever. The older bikes have a lift and slide mechanism that is not as reliable. With the lever, you can tighten it (approximately 2.5 turns for bike 24) and you can be sure that it is very tight and the seat will not slide back. I brought my water bottle with a purple lid which is also my favourite water bottle. It holds one litre of water if you leave 2.3 cm headspace. If you fill it completely to the top, it holds just a fraction more than one litre of water. I put the water bottle into the water bottle holder on the bike. Some people put their water bottles on the handlebars. I like to use the water bottle holder. The water bottle holder on bike 24 is the perfect fit for my water bottle with the purple lid that holds just a little more than 1 litre when I completely fill it. I clipped the foot pedals on. I like the foot pedals on bike 24. They do not creak and the clip mechanism is very reliable. On some of the other bikes, the clips come undone, or need to be readjusted which is distracting. I just like to clip the pedals on and be done with it. It takes me approximately 20 seconds to get both clips done up tight. I position my foot on each pedal about 5cm back from the front of the cage, which is set up to accommodate large feet. When I began to pedal, I noticed that the bike mechanic must have adjusted the flywheel tension on bike 24. Flywheel tension is the most important thing about a bike. When you know your tension, you can regulate the resistance very reliably and quickly, and with ease of adjustment. Bike 24 usually adjusts to 20% max load at 2 clicks and 100% at 6 clicks, which is not a lot. Many of the bikes have a range of 8-10 clicks to get to maximum, so bike 24 is already relatively tight in its flywheel adjustment. Interestingly, at maximum tension, bike 24 is not immovable. I know this because we put on full tension to still the wheel for calf stretches at the end of the class, and bike 24's pedals budge even when the tension is torqued on pretty hard. But yesterday, when I sat down to pedal I noticed that 20% tension was on at 1 click, 50% at 2 clicks and 100% at about 4 clicks, which is much tighter than usual. The shorter range from minimum to maximum allowed for fewer fine adjustments and made gradual increases and decreases in tension very challenging. You can adjust between clicks, but it's very distracting. To make things worse, once the tension was clicked on, I found it very difficult to release. The lever is relatively small, probably so it will not get in the way during the exercise session, but that also provides less leverage. Normally on bike 24, releasing the tension is very easy. Yesterday I found it very difficult, which is unusual, like I said. I found that the only way I could release the tension lever was to brace my hand on the upright above the flywheel and squeeze the lever closed with my thumb. All other methods yielded no results and/or irritated my tendonitis in my elbow, and that is very distracting.
Okay, you get the idea. Who cares about bike 24???? But there it is. Too much information is also boring.
Too much information-type boring is sometimes the kind of boring that people use to control conversations. Think of it as a filibuster. Combined with a dull and unrelenting delivery, this approach is very effective at just shutting down what anybody else has to say. The poor listener can't get a word in, and the monotony of the monologue has a hypnotic effect. When I figured this out, I understood that there is a secret power to boring. Use it wisely, Grasshopper.
question: Can you stand another day of this? because I have a theory about why people are bored...
mompoet - as usual, tripping past enough to someplace in excess of enough
Boring Part 3 - Boring is Power and Control
My Dad emailed me the correct spelling of Vaughan Palmer's name so I told him I wrote Van on purpose. I was modeling ignorant and overbearing, both wonderful attributes to boring conversation. I hope somebody got that part....or maybe it really was so boring that you didn't notice? Good.
Today's boring example, more detail than one person can possibly bear:
I went to the gym on Wednesday for my cycle class. I always choose bike number 24, except if somebody else gets to it before me. Most of the time I get bike 24. It's my favourite. I set up the heart rate monitor and adjusted the seat and the handlebars. I like the handlebars high and the seat high and all the way forward. I prefer the seat adjuster lever on bike 24 because it's the new kind that is an actual lever. The older bikes have a lift and slide mechanism that is not as reliable. With the lever, you can tighten it (approximately 2.5 turns for bike 24) and you can be sure that it is very tight and the seat will not slide back. I brought my water bottle with a purple lid which is also my favourite water bottle. It holds one litre of water if you leave 2.3 cm headspace. If you fill it completely to the top, it holds just a fraction more than one litre of water. I put the water bottle into the water bottle holder on the bike. Some people put their water bottles on the handlebars. I like to use the water bottle holder. The water bottle holder on bike 24 is the perfect fit for my water bottle with the purple lid that holds just a little more than 1 litre when I completely fill it. I clipped the foot pedals on. I like the foot pedals on bike 24. They do not creak and the clip mechanism is very reliable. On some of the other bikes, the clips come undone, or need to be readjusted which is distracting. I just like to clip the pedals on and be done with it. It takes me approximately 20 seconds to get both clips done up tight. I position my foot on each pedal about 5cm back from the front of the cage, which is set up to accommodate large feet. When I began to pedal, I noticed that the bike mechanic must have adjusted the flywheel tension on bike 24. Flywheel tension is the most important thing about a bike. When you know your tension, you can regulate the resistance very reliably and quickly, and with ease of adjustment. Bike 24 usually adjusts to 20% max load at 2 clicks and 100% at 6 clicks, which is not a lot. Many of the bikes have a range of 8-10 clicks to get to maximum, so bike 24 is already relatively tight in its flywheel adjustment. Interestingly, at maximum tension, bike 24 is not immovable. I know this because we put on full tension to still the wheel for calf stretches at the end of the class, and bike 24's pedals budge even when the tension is torqued on pretty hard. But yesterday, when I sat down to pedal I noticed that 20% tension was on at 1 click, 50% at 2 clicks and 100% at about 4 clicks, which is much tighter than usual. The shorter range from minimum to maximum allowed for fewer fine adjustments and made gradual increases and decreases in tension very challenging. You can adjust between clicks, but it's very distracting. To make things worse, once the tension was clicked on, I found it very difficult to release. The lever is relatively small, probably so it will not get in the way during the exercise session, but that also provides less leverage. Normally on bike 24, releasing the tension is very easy. Yesterday I found it very difficult, which is unusual, like I said. I found that the only way I could release the tension lever was to brace my hand on the upright above the flywheel and squeeze the lever closed with my thumb. All other methods yielded no results and/or irritated my tendonitis in my elbow, and that is very distracting.
Okay, you get the idea. Who cares about bike 24???? But there it is. Too much information is also boring.
Too much information-type boring is sometimes the kind of boring that people use to control conversations. Think of it as a filibuster. Combined with a dull and unrelenting delivery, this approach is very effective at just shutting down what anybody else has to say. The poor listener can't get a word in, and the monotony of the monologue has a hypnotic effect. When I figured this out, I understood that there is a secret power to boring. Use it wisely, Grasshopper.
question: Can you stand another day of this? because I have a theory about why people are bored...
mompoet - as usual, tripping past enough to someplace in excess of enough
Today's boring example, more detail than one person can possibly bear:
I went to the gym on Wednesday for my cycle class. I always choose bike number 24, except if somebody else gets to it before me. Most of the time I get bike 24. It's my favourite. I set up the heart rate monitor and adjusted the seat and the handlebars. I like the handlebars high and the seat high and all the way forward. I prefer the seat adjuster lever on bike 24 because it's the new kind that is an actual lever. The older bikes have a lift and slide mechanism that is not as reliable. With the lever, you can tighten it (approximately 2.5 turns for bike 24) and you can be sure that it is very tight and the seat will not slide back. I brought my water bottle with a purple lid which is also my favourite water bottle. It holds one litre of water if you leave 2.3 cm headspace. If you fill it completely to the top, it holds just a fraction more than one litre of water. I put the water bottle into the water bottle holder on the bike. Some people put their water bottles on the handlebars. I like to use the water bottle holder. The water bottle holder on bike 24 is the perfect fit for my water bottle with the purple lid that holds just a little more than 1 litre when I completely fill it. I clipped the foot pedals on. I like the foot pedals on bike 24. They do not creak and the clip mechanism is very reliable. On some of the other bikes, the clips come undone, or need to be readjusted which is distracting. I just like to clip the pedals on and be done with it. It takes me approximately 20 seconds to get both clips done up tight. I position my foot on each pedal about 5cm back from the front of the cage, which is set up to accommodate large feet. When I began to pedal, I noticed that the bike mechanic must have adjusted the flywheel tension on bike 24. Flywheel tension is the most important thing about a bike. When you know your tension, you can regulate the resistance very reliably and quickly, and with ease of adjustment. Bike 24 usually adjusts to 20% max load at 2 clicks and 100% at 6 clicks, which is not a lot. Many of the bikes have a range of 8-10 clicks to get to maximum, so bike 24 is already relatively tight in its flywheel adjustment. Interestingly, at maximum tension, bike 24 is not immovable. I know this because we put on full tension to still the wheel for calf stretches at the end of the class, and bike 24's pedals budge even when the tension is torqued on pretty hard. But yesterday, when I sat down to pedal I noticed that 20% tension was on at 1 click, 50% at 2 clicks and 100% at about 4 clicks, which is much tighter than usual. The shorter range from minimum to maximum allowed for fewer fine adjustments and made gradual increases and decreases in tension very challenging. You can adjust between clicks, but it's very distracting. To make things worse, once the tension was clicked on, I found it very difficult to release. The lever is relatively small, probably so it will not get in the way during the exercise session, but that also provides less leverage. Normally on bike 24, releasing the tension is very easy. Yesterday I found it very difficult, which is unusual, like I said. I found that the only way I could release the tension lever was to brace my hand on the upright above the flywheel and squeeze the lever closed with my thumb. All other methods yielded no results and/or irritated my tendonitis in my elbow, and that is very distracting.
Okay, you get the idea. Who cares about bike 24???? But there it is. Too much information is also boring.
Too much information-type boring is sometimes the kind of boring that people use to control conversations. Think of it as a filibuster. Combined with a dull and unrelenting delivery, this approach is very effective at just shutting down what anybody else has to say. The poor listener can't get a word in, and the monotony of the monologue has a hypnotic effect. When I figured this out, I understood that there is a secret power to boring. Use it wisely, Grasshopper.
question: Can you stand another day of this? because I have a theory about why people are bored...
mompoet - as usual, tripping past enough to someplace in excess of enough
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Boring Part 2 - Boring is Protection
First a note from my mom after she read Monday's post:
If I had to read a whole week's worth, it would be boring, but, still being a mom, I like reading the minutiae of one day in your life. You would never, never tell me all this in conversation (I hope!).
Doting Mom
Today's Boring Examples: A boring poem and over-boring
My car would not start
I felt in my heart
I would stay put forever
I would never move ever
I sat in the sun
Thinking this is no fun
I am not the still one
I prefer more to run
Drive to a good place
With a smile on my face
In my moving car life
Free from gridlock and strife
I just thought that up while I was watching the debate on television. I would have a big screen tv but those things are just for people who need to look at big screens. I have a pretty small tv which is fine with me because that's the kind my parents and my friends have. Did you see the tie that Gordon Campbell was wearing. Guys with pink ties are alway fiscally conservative. What do you think? I don't care. I think guys with pink ties like to talk about themselves. I think they think they know everything and they don't know when to stop talking about themselves or their ideas. I think they think they are better than guys with yellow ties with black dots like that Van Palmer guy. Yeah I said Van. Yeah, that Van guy he's a yellow tie wearing guy. I think guys with yellow ties are on power trips. Yeah, they're compensating big time. Y'know what I mean. Like they wear yellow ties with black dots all the time because they're lacking something. They lack something so they wear yellow ties. Whatdya think of that? I think they wear those yellow ties because they don't feel competent to wear pink ties like those fiscally conservative pink-tie wearing guys. Am I right? Am I right? Course I'm right! I bet those yellow tie wearing guys also have big screen tvs and they watch tv all night looking for other guys in yellow ties with black dots so they can validate their own choice. Yeah, that's what I think. Right?
If I heard someone say that poem or got blasted with tie talk I would feel sorry for the person who said it. Not just because they think what they're saying is interesting, when it's really boring. Althought that's always kind of sad.
Boring is protection. It's like getting fat or wearing frumpy clothing or being grumpy when you don't really need to. It's a way of closing up into safety. Protective armour.
I do it myself when I suddenly realise I'm opening up too much in conversation. This little self-monitoring part of my brain says, "Oops, connection imminent. Too risky." Then the boring mechanism kicks in and I switch to inane bla bla and the person I'm talking too goes from interested to glazed and finds an excuse to get out of the conversation pretty fast. It's taken me a long time to figure this out, and I wonder if anyone else does it, so now I'm watching for it in conversations.
That's all about boring for this morning. Tomorrow I will talk about too much information and detail.
This is really boring isn't it? GOOD!
question: open or closed?
mompoet - bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla Right?
Today's Boring Examples: A boring poem and over-boring
My car would not start
I felt in my heart
I would stay put forever
I would never move ever
I sat in the sun
Thinking this is no fun
I am not the still one
I prefer more to run
Drive to a good place
With a smile on my face
In my moving car life
Free from gridlock and strife
I just thought that up while I was watching the debate on television. I would have a big screen tv but those things are just for people who need to look at big screens. I have a pretty small tv which is fine with me because that's the kind my parents and my friends have. Did you see the tie that Gordon Campbell was wearing. Guys with pink ties are alway fiscally conservative. What do you think? I don't care. I think guys with pink ties like to talk about themselves. I think they think they know everything and they don't know when to stop talking about themselves or their ideas. I think they think they are better than guys with yellow ties with black dots like that Van Palmer guy. Yeah I said Van. Yeah, that Van guy he's a yellow tie wearing guy. I think guys with yellow ties are on power trips. Yeah, they're compensating big time. Y'know what I mean. Like they wear yellow ties with black dots all the time because they're lacking something. They lack something so they wear yellow ties. Whatdya think of that? I think they wear those yellow ties because they don't feel competent to wear pink ties like those fiscally conservative pink-tie wearing guys. Am I right? Am I right? Course I'm right! I bet those yellow tie wearing guys also have big screen tvs and they watch tv all night looking for other guys in yellow ties with black dots so they can validate their own choice. Yeah, that's what I think. Right?
If I heard someone say that poem or got blasted with tie talk I would feel sorry for the person who said it. Not just because they think what they're saying is interesting, when it's really boring. Althought that's always kind of sad.
Boring is protection. It's like getting fat or wearing frumpy clothing or being grumpy when you don't really need to. It's a way of closing up into safety. Protective armour.
I do it myself when I suddenly realise I'm opening up too much in conversation. This little self-monitoring part of my brain says, "Oops, connection imminent. Too risky." Then the boring mechanism kicks in and I switch to inane bla bla and the person I'm talking too goes from interested to glazed and finds an excuse to get out of the conversation pretty fast. It's taken me a long time to figure this out, and I wonder if anyone else does it, so now I'm watching for it in conversations.
That's all about boring for this morning. Tomorrow I will talk about too much information and detail.
This is really boring isn't it? GOOD!
question: open or closed?
mompoet - bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla Right?
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Boring Part 1 - Boring is Intimate
In a description of everyday life, what makes the difference between compelling and boring? In my blog this week I will explore the concept of boring, including examples of boring and discussions of some of the aspects of boringness in writing and conversation.
Boring Sampler (featuring the basic three: what I ate, what I did at work, and exercise)
Yesterday I got up in the morning and I made breakfast. I ate toast with cottage cheese and jam. The bread was from Cobs bakery. The cottage cheese was from Safeway. The jam was home made jam. I used two spoons so I would not get jam in the cottage cheese. I also ate a mango. I used another spoon for the mango. I drank water and coffee. I did not drink milk because I ate cottage cheese. I did not have a snack. At lunch I had noodles with parmesan cheese. I drank milk, water and green tea. I did not have an afternoon snack. For supper I ate rice and stir fried pork and vegetables. The vegetables were carrots, green beans, broccoli, green pepper, onions and garlic. I drank milk and black tea. I had a snack in the evening. It was a cup of coffee and a muffin.
On Friday at work I checked my email. I had a meeting with Karla. We got some files out of storage and we also picked up the tub with stuff to make bath sizzlers for Marnie so she would not have to go to the storage shed. I proof-read a memo and sent my comments. I worked in CLASS and created 4 new activities. I also revised the default ages on 8 other activities. I reviewed the revised names document for preschool programs. I found one issue and wrote a follow-up memo to the members of the committee. I formatted minutes for the summer meeting and the Salmon Sendoff meeting and sent them to the members of the committees. I created a spreadsheet for the summer leader training school budget and sent an email to the committee asking members to enter their anticipated expenditures on the shared drive. I sent an email to Joan about volunteers from the high school. I answered approximately 15 phone calls, mostly about camp. I signed timesheets. I filled out my timecard. I authorized MasterCard bills and sent them to the Purchasing Department. I phoned my supervisor to ask her a question. It was so boring I forget what it was. Oh yeah, it was about playground development grants. I proofread school program surveys, asked for corrections and sent final copies to the printshop. On my break I went for a walk with Laurie.
Oh my goodness, I can't do any more. I feel like the kid in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night which opens another insight into boring that I hadn't thought about until just now...Is boring a product of an inability to interact or anticipate how others perceive your reality or your interpretation of it? I'll think about that.
What I meant to say about boring this morning is that boring is intimate. Not intimacy is boring, but boring is intimate. The only person I could think of inflicting this amount of boring on is my husband or maybe one of the kids. And that's not to torture them or because we don't have anything to discuss. It's just that when you are very close, sometimes boring actually comes back around to interesting. Maybe it's a demonstration of devotion: "Okay honey, give me your boringest. I'll stay with you despite it all." But more likely its part of the sewing together of our experience. At some point during the day we need to soak in each others' juices and put our experience together. If it was an un-interesting experience that does not matter. I do not find it fascinating that my husband had 3 printers down when he arrived at work yesterday morning. He doesn't really want to know that I moved the coffee table before I vacuumed yesterday. But by telling each other we laminate ourselves into something more in line. When my son tells me what kind of pizza he ordered at the high school cafeteria, or my daughter tells me that a kid in the show calls her "Daytona," we superimpose ourselves on each other. Sure we talk about a lot of interesting things too, but we need to share boring or it would seem as if we were trying to hard.
So I guess it boils down to: I love you. I want to be you. Let's transfuse each other with the minutiae of our daily life.
question: how the heck did you read this far???
mompoet - determined to be one with boring
Boring Sampler (featuring the basic three: what I ate, what I did at work, and exercise)
Yesterday I got up in the morning and I made breakfast. I ate toast with cottage cheese and jam. The bread was from Cobs bakery. The cottage cheese was from Safeway. The jam was home made jam. I used two spoons so I would not get jam in the cottage cheese. I also ate a mango. I used another spoon for the mango. I drank water and coffee. I did not drink milk because I ate cottage cheese. I did not have a snack. At lunch I had noodles with parmesan cheese. I drank milk, water and green tea. I did not have an afternoon snack. For supper I ate rice and stir fried pork and vegetables. The vegetables were carrots, green beans, broccoli, green pepper, onions and garlic. I drank milk and black tea. I had a snack in the evening. It was a cup of coffee and a muffin.
On Friday at work I checked my email. I had a meeting with Karla. We got some files out of storage and we also picked up the tub with stuff to make bath sizzlers for Marnie so she would not have to go to the storage shed. I proof-read a memo and sent my comments. I worked in CLASS and created 4 new activities. I also revised the default ages on 8 other activities. I reviewed the revised names document for preschool programs. I found one issue and wrote a follow-up memo to the members of the committee. I formatted minutes for the summer meeting and the Salmon Sendoff meeting and sent them to the members of the committees. I created a spreadsheet for the summer leader training school budget and sent an email to the committee asking members to enter their anticipated expenditures on the shared drive. I sent an email to Joan about volunteers from the high school. I answered approximately 15 phone calls, mostly about camp. I signed timesheets. I filled out my timecard. I authorized MasterCard bills and sent them to the Purchasing Department. I phoned my supervisor to ask her a question. It was so boring I forget what it was. Oh yeah, it was about playground development grants. I proofread school program surveys, asked for corrections and sent final copies to the printshop. On my break I went for a walk with Laurie.
Oh my goodness, I can't do any more. I feel like the kid in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night which opens another insight into boring that I hadn't thought about until just now...Is boring a product of an inability to interact or anticipate how others perceive your reality or your interpretation of it? I'll think about that.
What I meant to say about boring this morning is that boring is intimate. Not intimacy is boring, but boring is intimate. The only person I could think of inflicting this amount of boring on is my husband or maybe one of the kids. And that's not to torture them or because we don't have anything to discuss. It's just that when you are very close, sometimes boring actually comes back around to interesting. Maybe it's a demonstration of devotion: "Okay honey, give me your boringest. I'll stay with you despite it all." But more likely its part of the sewing together of our experience. At some point during the day we need to soak in each others' juices and put our experience together. If it was an un-interesting experience that does not matter. I do not find it fascinating that my husband had 3 printers down when he arrived at work yesterday morning. He doesn't really want to know that I moved the coffee table before I vacuumed yesterday. But by telling each other we laminate ourselves into something more in line. When my son tells me what kind of pizza he ordered at the high school cafeteria, or my daughter tells me that a kid in the show calls her "Daytona," we superimpose ourselves on each other. Sure we talk about a lot of interesting things too, but we need to share boring or it would seem as if we were trying to hard.
So I guess it boils down to: I love you. I want to be you. Let's transfuse each other with the minutiae of our daily life.
question: how the heck did you read this far???
mompoet - determined to be one with boring
Last exit before boring
So I went to the slam semifinals (round one) tonight. What a night of fine poetry! Nines plus for every poem, and well-deserved. Just narrowly eliminated were some poets of true originality and light. This has been such a year at the Vancouver Poetry Slam, with new people challenging, and audience/judge tastes shifting, I think.
Luckily it's not the only show in town, but sometimes it feels that way. So instead of wishing for my friends that they could have gone to the finals and made the team, I will wish that they will find or make opportunities for something even better and more fulfilling in the next few months.
It's some kind of problem when you are surrounded by so much good and not every single kind can be called best. Something good will come of it. Something good.
Feature poet Reeves was adorable and smart and funny. Jack McCarthy was there too - such a sweet surprise and a knock-down sacrifice poet. It's hard to believe we get to see these poets at work even when we stay home in Vancouver.
question: if you try some times could you possibly get what you need?
mompoet - ac-centuate the positive
Luckily it's not the only show in town, but sometimes it feels that way. So instead of wishing for my friends that they could have gone to the finals and made the team, I will wish that they will find or make opportunities for something even better and more fulfilling in the next few months.
It's some kind of problem when you are surrounded by so much good and not every single kind can be called best. Something good will come of it. Something good.
Feature poet Reeves was adorable and smart and funny. Jack McCarthy was there too - such a sweet surprise and a knock-down sacrifice poet. It's hard to believe we get to see these poets at work even when we stay home in Vancouver.
question: if you try some times could you possibly get what you need?
mompoet - ac-centuate the positive
Brain Waves
About Great Big Sea...I'm re-thinking what I thought about the balance between traditional and original songs and why it is the way it is. I forgot about the artists' points of view. I suppose (duhhh!) that the band members write their own songs as part of their own expression, and of course they will include them on the cd.
question: not too late to think again, I hope?
mompoet - the one who thinks fast and bright but only in one direction most of the time but luckily it usually bounces back and shines on something else and fortunately I am usually paying attention and notice another perspective and incorporate it into my thinking otherwise I would be terminally obtuse...pheewww.
STARTING TOMORROW: THE WEEK OF BORING
question: not too late to think again, I hope?
mompoet - the one who thinks fast and bright but only in one direction most of the time but luckily it usually bounces back and shines on something else and fortunately I am usually paying attention and notice another perspective and incorporate it into my thinking otherwise I would be terminally obtuse...pheewww.
STARTING TOMORROW: THE WEEK OF BORING
Monday, May 02, 2005
fonts and guns
I just posted my sound journal, and blogger is screwing up the fonts. I am going to leave it. Please, if you are bugged by font-o-mania like I am, forgive the mish-mash. I tried my best to keep it simple and clean, but copying and pasting seems to throw the program for a loop. This is good practice for me to know that things do not have to be perfect..errrrrrr ahem.
Also, my "about me" line is not an indication that I have joined the NRA. It's a line from a song in Annie Get your Gun. I heard a girl singing it at the festival last week and I liked it so much I think I'm going to keep it.
question: who cares?
mompoet - I know, I know
Also, my "about me" line is not an indication that I have joined the NRA. It's a line from a song in Annie Get your Gun. I heard a girl singing it at the festival last week and I liked it so much I think I'm going to keep it.
question: who cares?
mompoet - I know, I know
mompoet sound journal #8 - Great Big Sea
road rage
Great Big Sea
Warner, 2000
**** (out of 5)
After a bit of a break from sound journals (but not from listening!) I'm finally posting an entry about my friend Marnie's contribution, road rage by the Canadian folk/pop group Great Big Sea.
Marnie works with me. She is married, with three grown children. She and her husband are avid listeners. When Marnie heard about my project, she was enthusiastic about bringing me something. With a new twist on the "twenty CD offering," Marnie brought me her MP3 player loaded with "just about everything I have" and offered to loan it to me for a feast of listening. I'm still not an earphone person, so I deferred and chose instead the Great Big Sea CD that she also offered. I liked the idea of a Canadian group, and I'd heard their stuff on the radio.
I asked Marnie what kind of music she likes:
I tend to lean toward a “folk” style of music. I like music that is catchy, story songs or poetic expression. I like to be able to hear what the singer is singing so I don’t particularly like loud screaming clashing rock though some real good rock I enjoy. I enjoy someone who I think has talent and stage presence and I enjoy concerts more when I can recognize the songs and sing along or (heaven forbid) dance.
Marnie and I like to talk about our kids. Her girls have been dancers all of their lives, so we like to moan and groan about the cost of dance shoes. When I asked Marnie about how her children's musical tastes have influenced hers and vice versa, she told me:
My children have been exposed to music all their lives so their tastes are not that far from my own. Jeremy spends a lot of time going to clubs and listening to local groups, he plays guitar and has several friends who perform locally and for a time worked at the “Rock Space” where bands practice.
The road rage cd is a collection of live recordings from the band's 1999 cross-Canada tour. Most of their big favourites are on the list, with lots of concert chat in between, and many demonstrations of fan enthusiasm with singing along, cheering and generally getting involved in the show. The band is from Newfoundland. At the time of the tour it was Sean McCann, Darrell Power, Alan Doyle and Bob Hallett. They play traditional Newfoundland music and original contemporary songs that they have written to complement the maritime folk sound. They play guitar, bass, fiddle, accordian, flute, whisles, bouzouki (a stringed instrument shaped like an avocado) and bodhran (a celtic drum). There are some great songs on the CD, and on two others I found in Andy's collection (up and Sea of No Cares). I like their traditional songs best. They're more zesty and compelling than the original pieces. There are some great lyrics in the traditional songs, and a lusty delivery that made me feel happy and excited when I listened:
Mari Mac's mother's making Mari Mac marry me
My mother's making me marry Mari Mac
Well I'm going to marry Mari for when Mari's taking care of me
We'll all be feeling merry when I marry Mari Mac
Hi you yiddle ah diddle lie diddle 'um
The contemporary songs are nice, but not so grabby. They're "driving in the car with the windows open and singing along" songs. I'm glad they're on the CD. They're fun and easy to listen to. I guess maybe they're the toast and the traditional ones are the jam. And I guess I wouldn't want to eat a bowl of jam, no matter how good.
One thing I noticed, when the guys in the band talk to the audience between songs, they have big old Newfoundland accents. Lead singer Alan Doyle, with his deep nasal voice, sounds like a Newfoundland version of the Vancouver Poetry Slam's host, Graham Olds. But when they sing, it's not so much that way - more on the traditional songs than the new ones. I wonder if they have decided where to position themselves on the spectrum between all-authentic-old and another middle-of-the-road bunch of Canadian guys. Their playing and singing is very good, and I know they are tremendously successful. So probably they got it just right. This idea about what's unique about someone vs. what's familiar and safe, and how other people perceive it, is interesting to me. If Great Big Sea sang just old songs from Newfoundland, they'd seem more like the Irish Rovers (remember them?) If they sang just their original stuff they'd seem proficient but undistinguished. I don't know anything about marketing music, but I think this makes sense.
Anyway, Marnie, thank you very much for introducing me to Great Big Sea. I will listen to their music some more for sure. Maybe we'll go to a concert together one day and dance dance dance!
question: what do you think about the personal spectrum of unique to typical?
mompoet - right foot in the middle, left foot inching toward the letter u
Great Big Sea
Warner, 2000
**** (out of 5)
After a bit of a break from sound journals (but not from listening!) I'm finally posting an entry about my friend Marnie's contribution, road rage by the Canadian folk/pop group Great Big Sea.
Marnie works with me. She is married, with three grown children. She and her husband are avid listeners. When Marnie heard about my project, she was enthusiastic about bringing me something. With a new twist on the "twenty CD offering," Marnie brought me her MP3 player loaded with "just about everything I have" and offered to loan it to me for a feast of listening. I'm still not an earphone person, so I deferred and chose instead the Great Big Sea CD that she also offered. I liked the idea of a Canadian group, and I'd heard their stuff on the radio.
I asked Marnie what kind of music she likes:
I tend to lean toward a “folk” style of music. I like music that is catchy, story songs or poetic expression. I like to be able to hear what the singer is singing so I don’t particularly like loud screaming clashing rock though some real good rock I enjoy. I enjoy someone who I think has talent and stage presence and I enjoy concerts more when I can recognize the songs and sing along or (heaven forbid) dance.
Marnie and I like to talk about our kids. Her girls have been dancers all of their lives, so we like to moan and groan about the cost of dance shoes. When I asked Marnie about how her children's musical tastes have influenced hers and vice versa, she told me:
My children have been exposed to music all their lives so their tastes are not that far from my own. Jeremy spends a lot of time going to clubs and listening to local groups, he plays guitar and has several friends who perform locally and for a time worked at the “Rock Space” where bands practice.
The road rage cd is a collection of live recordings from the band's 1999 cross-Canada tour. Most of their big favourites are on the list, with lots of concert chat in between, and many demonstrations of fan enthusiasm with singing along, cheering and generally getting involved in the show. The band is from Newfoundland. At the time of the tour it was Sean McCann, Darrell Power, Alan Doyle and Bob Hallett. They play traditional Newfoundland music and original contemporary songs that they have written to complement the maritime folk sound. They play guitar, bass, fiddle, accordian, flute, whisles, bouzouki (a stringed instrument shaped like an avocado) and bodhran (a celtic drum). There are some great songs on the CD, and on two others I found in Andy's collection (up and Sea of No Cares). I like their traditional songs best. They're more zesty and compelling than the original pieces. There are some great lyrics in the traditional songs, and a lusty delivery that made me feel happy and excited when I listened:
Mari Mac's mother's making Mari Mac marry me
My mother's making me marry Mari Mac
Well I'm going to marry Mari for when Mari's taking care of me
We'll all be feeling merry when I marry Mari Mac
Hi you yiddle ah diddle lie diddle 'um
The contemporary songs are nice, but not so grabby. They're "driving in the car with the windows open and singing along" songs. I'm glad they're on the CD. They're fun and easy to listen to. I guess maybe they're the toast and the traditional ones are the jam. And I guess I wouldn't want to eat a bowl of jam, no matter how good.
One thing I noticed, when the guys in the band talk to the audience between songs, they have big old Newfoundland accents. Lead singer Alan Doyle, with his deep nasal voice, sounds like a Newfoundland version of the Vancouver Poetry Slam's host, Graham Olds. But when they sing, it's not so much that way - more on the traditional songs than the new ones. I wonder if they have decided where to position themselves on the spectrum between all-authentic-old and another middle-of-the-road bunch of Canadian guys. Their playing and singing is very good, and I know they are tremendously successful. So probably they got it just right. This idea about what's unique about someone vs. what's familiar and safe, and how other people perceive it, is interesting to me. If Great Big Sea sang just old songs from Newfoundland, they'd seem more like the Irish Rovers (remember them?) If they sang just their original stuff they'd seem proficient but undistinguished. I don't know anything about marketing music, but I think this makes sense.
Anyway, Marnie, thank you very much for introducing me to Great Big Sea. I will listen to their music some more for sure. Maybe we'll go to a concert together one day and dance dance dance!
question: what do you think about the personal spectrum of unique to typical?
mompoet - right foot in the middle, left foot inching toward the letter u
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Show-done
Beauty and the Beast closed today with a matinee performance. Our daughter asked me to wait until the last performance to see her cast (because that will be the best performance, she said). It was very good. She was very good. Lots of people who loved her were in the audience. Thank you to everyone who came today and on the other days. I think she knew someone out there every single show.
My daughter can dress up as an old man in a fat suit and sing to theatre filled with 500 people and enjoy it, and be good at it. WOW. Okay, I cried for about 80% of the show today. Those kids are just great, and this experience was wonderful for them. And I'm a big ball of gooey mooosh. Andy came with me. He was polite and did not giggle at me. I appreciate that very much.
After the show the kids helped clean up the green room and dressing rooms. Our daughter was downstairs for a long time. When I asked her why she took so long, she said that she was crying and so were a bunch of the kids. There's such a buildup to the show, then they do a dozen performances, then it's over. She went off to a cast party after cleanup, and there will be classes until mid-June so she doesn't have to go cold turkey on Lindbjerg.
Andy and I stuck around to help put the show away. This involved disassembling set pieces, loading large and small items into rented trucks and unloading and putting away in a storage place where Lindbjerg keeps props, costumes and sets. We got done about 8:30pm. It was fun seeing bits and pieces from shows that our daughter has done in past years, all leaning against the walls and stuffed into tubs in the locker. I appreciate her teachers that much more for their resourcefulness and hard work.
Now it's bedtime. Andy has a sore shoulder from unloading something particularly heavy. Cast party is over and daughter is home. No more show tomorrow. What will we do with all of our spare time?
Oh yeah, the election and the poetry slam, and semester-end projects and exams, and mother's day, and my sister's going to Africa for a year at least so I need to get to Cranbrook before she leaves, and our son turns 15 on Friday so there's a party to plan. I guess we still have lots to do.
question: the show is never over, is it?
mompoet - bumpity bump bump....
My daughter can dress up as an old man in a fat suit and sing to theatre filled with 500 people and enjoy it, and be good at it. WOW. Okay, I cried for about 80% of the show today. Those kids are just great, and this experience was wonderful for them. And I'm a big ball of gooey mooosh. Andy came with me. He was polite and did not giggle at me. I appreciate that very much.
After the show the kids helped clean up the green room and dressing rooms. Our daughter was downstairs for a long time. When I asked her why she took so long, she said that she was crying and so were a bunch of the kids. There's such a buildup to the show, then they do a dozen performances, then it's over. She went off to a cast party after cleanup, and there will be classes until mid-June so she doesn't have to go cold turkey on Lindbjerg.
Andy and I stuck around to help put the show away. This involved disassembling set pieces, loading large and small items into rented trucks and unloading and putting away in a storage place where Lindbjerg keeps props, costumes and sets. We got done about 8:30pm. It was fun seeing bits and pieces from shows that our daughter has done in past years, all leaning against the walls and stuffed into tubs in the locker. I appreciate her teachers that much more for their resourcefulness and hard work.
Now it's bedtime. Andy has a sore shoulder from unloading something particularly heavy. Cast party is over and daughter is home. No more show tomorrow. What will we do with all of our spare time?
Oh yeah, the election and the poetry slam, and semester-end projects and exams, and mother's day, and my sister's going to Africa for a year at least so I need to get to Cranbrook before she leaves, and our son turns 15 on Friday so there's a party to plan. I guess we still have lots to do.
question: the show is never over, is it?
mompoet - bumpity bump bump....
Friday, April 29, 2005
Jubilation
At noon, a hula loop of tulips hooting yahooooooo!
question: did you see them?
mompoet - blissing out on spring
question: did you see them?
mompoet - blissing out on spring
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
more festival (that's all, I promise)
We drove out to Langley again this afternoon for Kiwanis Festival part two. Daughter did her comedy musical theatre piece. She's a private practiser, so I had heard her through a closed door, but not seen the full act. I know I'm her mom, but it was hilarious. I had to restrain myself from guffawing (guffawing is not appropriate at the music festival). She got a silver for her performance.
I had to leave before the ensemble performance. Her group got gold. So that's all for the festival for this year. She wants to go again next year.
The adjudicator, Nancy Hermiston from the UBC School of Music, was terrific. She encouraged every performer and had useful advice for everyone. We learned a lot just listening to her remarks to all of the singers.
I'm glad our daughter did this. I'm grateful that my work schedule is so flexible that I can get away to take her to things like this. I am so relieved not to live in Langley. It's pretty there, but getting to and from work would take so much time. Port Moody is gooooood.
question: Why is Mount Baker so close once you get over the bridge, but invisible from our side unless you are on Burnaby Mountain?
mompoet - long-haul mom for the short term
I had to leave before the ensemble performance. Her group got gold. So that's all for the festival for this year. She wants to go again next year.
The adjudicator, Nancy Hermiston from the UBC School of Music, was terrific. She encouraged every performer and had useful advice for everyone. We learned a lot just listening to her remarks to all of the singers.
I'm glad our daughter did this. I'm grateful that my work schedule is so flexible that I can get away to take her to things like this. I am so relieved not to live in Langley. It's pretty there, but getting to and from work would take so much time. Port Moody is gooooood.
question: Why is Mount Baker so close once you get over the bridge, but invisible from our side unless you are on Burnaby Mountain?
mompoet - long-haul mom for the short term
Music Festival
Our daughter sang "God Help the Outcasts" at the Kiwanis Music Festival yesterday. She's been to other festivals as part of a group. This was her first solo singing. The song is sweet and sad and simple. She sang it beautifully. I could tell she was nervous, but she hit her notes and put herself inside the song very well. The adjudicator complimented her vocal expression, and said that this is a hard thing to learn to do, but she's got it. She received a gold certificate (90-100%). Today she sings "My New Philosophy," a comedy song, and she'll do a number from Annie with 4 other girls.
We are so proud of her. This is something she decided to do herself, and she worked hard to build her ability and confidence to this point. The festival provides recognition and encouragement that mean a lot to her. A bunch of fellow students/performers were there. She was all smiles as they congratulated her and shared stories about how "nerve-wracking" it is (they actually used thosed words).
It's interesting when your kids start doing things you never did, nor probably ever could do. I feel pride and admiration, and also a respect for our daughter's ability to do things that are completely her own. This is a good thing.
question: none today
mompoet - moment of ahhhhh
We are so proud of her. This is something she decided to do herself, and she worked hard to build her ability and confidence to this point. The festival provides recognition and encouragement that mean a lot to her. A bunch of fellow students/performers were there. She was all smiles as they congratulated her and shared stories about how "nerve-wracking" it is (they actually used thosed words).
It's interesting when your kids start doing things you never did, nor probably ever could do. I feel pride and admiration, and also a respect for our daughter's ability to do things that are completely her own. This is a good thing.
question: none today
mompoet - moment of ahhhhh
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Four times in two hours
The summer of the Coaster has begun. I rode it 4 times today. Yup, in two hours. We activated our Playland passes today, then hit the rides for a couple hours. The longest wait we had was for our photo ID. After that we rode and rode and rode. The Corkscrew, Enterprise, Music Express (sentimental favourite), Splash Zone and Hellevator. I think the Hellevator is a near perfect ride, and it all happens before it even begins. That sensation of sitting there waiting to be propelled up the tower is so sickeningly wonderful I can hardly stand it. From the top the view is breathtaking, and zero gravity for a moment during the descent is cool, but sitting sweaty at the bottom, just waiting, is what that ride is really all about.
Of course, the very best is the Coaster. There's just nothing like a wooden roller coaster. I love the clacketa-clacketa and the swoop and jerk. I adore the way it looks like something your kooky neighbour built in his backyard then begged you to try. It's also the first roller coaster I ever rode. I think I was about 15 years old. I must have gone on it at least 100 times since then.
I don't know if I'll make it to my goal of 100 rides in one season by the time the park closes in October, but I'll sure have fun trying. I rode solo for my first 2 times, which is absolutely perfect. When you ride with someone else, you keep looking at that person and sharing the reaction...like "It's okay to scream, because he's screaming," or "Let's laugh like maniacs TOGETHERRRRR!" But solo you have to do what it is you want to do in response to the ride. And if you scream or laugh like a maniac it is an authentic and wholly self-owned thing. I did both.
Rides I am still thinking about: Hell's Gate (is this the year I give in and try it?) and two new rides promised for June: Break Dance and Gladiator.
Rides I will miss: Tilt'a'Whirl and Octopus, especially the Octopus. That was such a good ride. I laughed until I peed my pants on that ride once. Tilt'a'Whirl will mostly be missed by our daughter. I'm a tiny bit glad it's gone. I found out that even a tame ride can make you want to barf if you ride it 16 times in a row with a daughter who loves it.
Rides I just can't do: Crazy Beach Party (I tried it once. Too swoopy. Almost oooopy.) Wave Swinger (Too loose and too many flying shoes) Mad Mouse (so decrepit and creekity it's like a horror house in broad daylight, and those tiny little cars are just freaky)
Husband and son had a great time too, even when we got drenched on the log ride (we dried off on the Coaster). Daughter will go next time. She had a show. I think we picked the right summer to get passes.
By the way, the Enterprise (by a different name at the time) is the ride that made my bra disassemble itself in the true life poem "Exploding Brassiere." That was a long time ago but I remember it every time I go on that ride. To be safe, I rode solo. I have a more trustworthy bra now, but the same guy (now my husband). The possibility of a repeat is just too risky, and this time I might not be lucky enough to find the amazing and kindly Bra Fairy.
question: is this too silly for a 43 year old mom?
mompoet - who cares!
Of course, the very best is the Coaster. There's just nothing like a wooden roller coaster. I love the clacketa-clacketa and the swoop and jerk. I adore the way it looks like something your kooky neighbour built in his backyard then begged you to try. It's also the first roller coaster I ever rode. I think I was about 15 years old. I must have gone on it at least 100 times since then.
I don't know if I'll make it to my goal of 100 rides in one season by the time the park closes in October, but I'll sure have fun trying. I rode solo for my first 2 times, which is absolutely perfect. When you ride with someone else, you keep looking at that person and sharing the reaction...like "It's okay to scream, because he's screaming," or "Let's laugh like maniacs TOGETHERRRRR!" But solo you have to do what it is you want to do in response to the ride. And if you scream or laugh like a maniac it is an authentic and wholly self-owned thing. I did both.
Rides I am still thinking about: Hell's Gate (is this the year I give in and try it?) and two new rides promised for June: Break Dance and Gladiator.
Rides I will miss: Tilt'a'Whirl and Octopus, especially the Octopus. That was such a good ride. I laughed until I peed my pants on that ride once. Tilt'a'Whirl will mostly be missed by our daughter. I'm a tiny bit glad it's gone. I found out that even a tame ride can make you want to barf if you ride it 16 times in a row with a daughter who loves it.
Rides I just can't do: Crazy Beach Party (I tried it once. Too swoopy. Almost oooopy.) Wave Swinger (Too loose and too many flying shoes) Mad Mouse (so decrepit and creekity it's like a horror house in broad daylight, and those tiny little cars are just freaky)
Husband and son had a great time too, even when we got drenched on the log ride (we dried off on the Coaster). Daughter will go next time. She had a show. I think we picked the right summer to get passes.
By the way, the Enterprise (by a different name at the time) is the ride that made my bra disassemble itself in the true life poem "Exploding Brassiere." That was a long time ago but I remember it every time I go on that ride. To be safe, I rode solo. I have a more trustworthy bra now, but the same guy (now my husband). The possibility of a repeat is just too risky, and this time I might not be lucky enough to find the amazing and kindly Bra Fairy.
question: is this too silly for a 43 year old mom?
mompoet - who cares!
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Why I am glad I am not the mother of precocious and uninhibited quadruplet girls
At 2:45pm Friday I showed up at the backstage door at the theatre, and picked up the girls. Four little actor girls. First thing they did was trade in one of their friends for another. I should have taken this as a warning.
My job was to chaperone the quartet between their afternoon "schoolbus" performance and their opening night show. Call time for the latter: 6:30.
So I checked in with the traded-off member of the gang, who was actually relieved to be spending the break time with quieter friends and their mom. The new addition fitted the group perfectly because shetalksnon-stopjustlikethemandofteninababy-talkvoiceandshesquealslikeadentistdrillandshecantalkatthesametimeaseveryoneelseanditsokaywithherEEEEEEEEE!
Starting home to Port Moody in early rush hour at 3, dropping of 3 girls, keeping one, then reversing the operation in time to return to Maple Ridge at 6:30 would have been one long slow ride in a sardine can with talk-0-trons, so we stayed in Maple Ridge. They were all "STARVING RIGHT NOW!!" so I took them to White Spot where they demonstrated that this was not an exaggeration. Then we went to the mall. I hate the mall (Say that fast and it sound like "I hate them all" but I don't really.) We went into every store and they talked loudly and squealed and picked up everything and opened everything and knocked everything off shelves and swung their little purses and flounced around and cooed and squealed when they met gaggles of friends from the show also cruising the mall. They actually purchased freezies (for the freezer in the greenroom) They comparison-shopped for freezies for about 25 minutes. I felt like my toenails were being removed. Well, they did get the best deal, saving about .00001 cent per freezie. They also had a spirited argument about the most suitable flavour, then ended up buying four small packages each the same. They also bought m&ms. Then they stopped for an orange julius. Then they went to the dollar store. I sat outside with a coffee. They bought silly string, lip gloss and something else, I can't remember. Then they had their picture taken, all 4 of them in an automated photo booth. Then they stressed and paced for 5 minutes while they waited for the pictures to pop out, then they fought over who got what picture.
I took them back to the theatre at 6:30. There were too many moms signed up to help - they didn't need me, so I bought a ticket and watched the show. It was spectacular. Those kids are so good. I cried for about the last half hour, partly because I'm a mom, so I'm entitled, partly out of exhausted frazzledness from my chaperone shift.
I love those girls. I am glad only one of them is mine. I am grateful that someone else is chaperoning next Friday's gap time.
question: ???
mompoet - blessed with singletons
My job was to chaperone the quartet between their afternoon "schoolbus" performance and their opening night show. Call time for the latter: 6:30.
So I checked in with the traded-off member of the gang, who was actually relieved to be spending the break time with quieter friends and their mom. The new addition fitted the group perfectly because shetalksnon-stopjustlikethemandofteninababy-talkvoiceandshesquealslikeadentistdrillandshecantalkatthesametimeaseveryoneelseanditsokaywithherEEEEEEEEE!
Starting home to Port Moody in early rush hour at 3, dropping of 3 girls, keeping one, then reversing the operation in time to return to Maple Ridge at 6:30 would have been one long slow ride in a sardine can with talk-0-trons, so we stayed in Maple Ridge. They were all "STARVING RIGHT NOW!!" so I took them to White Spot where they demonstrated that this was not an exaggeration. Then we went to the mall. I hate the mall (Say that fast and it sound like "I hate them all" but I don't really.) We went into every store and they talked loudly and squealed and picked up everything and opened everything and knocked everything off shelves and swung their little purses and flounced around and cooed and squealed when they met gaggles of friends from the show also cruising the mall. They actually purchased freezies (for the freezer in the greenroom) They comparison-shopped for freezies for about 25 minutes. I felt like my toenails were being removed. Well, they did get the best deal, saving about .00001 cent per freezie. They also had a spirited argument about the most suitable flavour, then ended up buying four small packages each the same. They also bought m&ms. Then they stopped for an orange julius. Then they went to the dollar store. I sat outside with a coffee. They bought silly string, lip gloss and something else, I can't remember. Then they had their picture taken, all 4 of them in an automated photo booth. Then they stressed and paced for 5 minutes while they waited for the pictures to pop out, then they fought over who got what picture.
I took them back to the theatre at 6:30. There were too many moms signed up to help - they didn't need me, so I bought a ticket and watched the show. It was spectacular. Those kids are so good. I cried for about the last half hour, partly because I'm a mom, so I'm entitled, partly out of exhausted frazzledness from my chaperone shift.
I love those girls. I am glad only one of them is mine. I am grateful that someone else is chaperoning next Friday's gap time.
question: ???
mompoet - blessed with singletons
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Good Things About Today
tulips
Szechuan
"hey mom, will you give me a hug?"
BTV
dog kiss
husband who drives to Maple Ridge
Wendy K
I missed the Paul Martin speech
Alice in Wonderland
the back deck
did I mention tulips?
raisin bran
brita
the shoe repair guy
leftover hershey's surprise
Louise
no bugs at the lake
2 hissing geese
me hissing back
snow
sun
woodpeckers
question: what's on your list today?
mompoet - minimalist/maximum list
Szechuan
"hey mom, will you give me a hug?"
BTV
dog kiss
husband who drives to Maple Ridge
Wendy K
I missed the Paul Martin speech
Alice in Wonderland
the back deck
did I mention tulips?
raisin bran
brita
the shoe repair guy
leftover hershey's surprise
Louise
no bugs at the lake
2 hissing geese
me hissing back
snow
sun
woodpeckers
question: what's on your list today?
mompoet - minimalist/maximum list
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Tape or Wake
Beauty and the Beast kids will be on BTV on Thursday morning between 6 and 9am (a couple of times in there, I think). The show is doing a remote broadcast from the ACT Theatre in Maple Ridge. I have to get our daughter to her carpool rendezvous point at 5:15am. I think we'd all better go to bed early. Tune in CityTV if you want a preview of this great show. The real thing opens on Friday night, and runs through May 1. Tomorrow is closing night for the middle school performance of Alice in Wonderland. We'll get to see that show if we can keep our eyes open.
Driving to Maple Ridge centre takes 30 minutes in zero traffic, close to an hour at drive-home time. I'm getting an inkling of how Vancouver people feel about driving to Port Moody. It's not impossible, but think of all the other things I could be doing. Oh well, when the girls are in the car it's very entertaining (also deafening about half the time). When I'm by myself I am really enjoying my cd player.
Wake up early tomorrow, or set your vcr. And watch for the funny little guy with a mustache and high-waisted pants. That's our daughter.
question: what time did they say???!!!
mompoet - coming and going
Driving to Maple Ridge centre takes 30 minutes in zero traffic, close to an hour at drive-home time. I'm getting an inkling of how Vancouver people feel about driving to Port Moody. It's not impossible, but think of all the other things I could be doing. Oh well, when the girls are in the car it's very entertaining (also deafening about half the time). When I'm by myself I am really enjoying my cd player.
Wake up early tomorrow, or set your vcr. And watch for the funny little guy with a mustache and high-waisted pants. That's our daughter.
question: what time did they say???!!!
mompoet - coming and going
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
unintentional
In case you are wondering, I have not started on my "boring" series yet. It has been delayed due to general excitement, intrigue and mostly because I have been waiting to hear from Marnie before I post my Great Big Sea journal. Then I'll do boring.
Any boredom induced by the last few posts has been completely unintentional, random, accidental and not my fault. IT'S YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU - YOUR VERY OWN BORING - NOT MINE! NOT MINE! NOT MINE!
shhhh
mompoet
Any boredom induced by the last few posts has been completely unintentional, random, accidental and not my fault. IT'S YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU - YOUR VERY OWN BORING - NOT MINE! NOT MINE! NOT MINE!
shhhh
mompoet
silly dog day
this day
this unreasonably bright and silly day
stupidly happy like a smiling dog wearing a bandana
standing and wagging in a room where people sit and wait
and i
am dumb as a donut on a plate
sitting on a red-checked tablecloth
old fashioned glazed
knowing i will not change the world this day
but when you're a donut
life is sweet
anyway
oops the dog just ate me
now she's really smiling
question: donut or bagel? smile or wait? silly silly?
mompoet - sweet
this unreasonably bright and silly day
stupidly happy like a smiling dog wearing a bandana
standing and wagging in a room where people sit and wait
and i
am dumb as a donut on a plate
sitting on a red-checked tablecloth
old fashioned glazed
knowing i will not change the world this day
but when you're a donut
life is sweet
anyway
oops the dog just ate me
now she's really smiling
question: donut or bagel? smile or wait? silly silly?
mompoet - sweet
by the skin of my teeth
I'm in the Van Slam Semi-Finals. Last Chance Slam happened at the cafe last night. That's for poets who have not qualified but are still trying. I almost didn't make it to the second round, but one of the poets dropped out. Then I came in second overall. I made it to the semis by good luck and the narrowest margin.
I wanted so much to make it. I was all sweaty and agitated, but I found my focus when it was my turn to perform. I would have been okay if I hadn't qualified, but I'm glad I did. I am lucky.
question: not asking any at this point
mompoet - with so many good poets around, luck counts
I wanted so much to make it. I was all sweaty and agitated, but I found my focus when it was my turn to perform. I would have been okay if I hadn't qualified, but I'm glad I did. I am lucky.
question: not asking any at this point
mompoet - with so many good poets around, luck counts
Monday, April 18, 2005
the cat
is basking on the carpet in a sunbeam, rolling and writhing in bliss on this morning, almost to bright for words
question: where's your sunbeam?
mompoet - admiring the cat
ps I did not say "almost too brilliant for words" because I am boycotting the word "brilliant" right now.
question: where's your sunbeam?
mompoet - admiring the cat
ps I did not say "almost too brilliant for words" because I am boycotting the word "brilliant" right now.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
If it's not me, who is it?
A good friend just told me she has stopped reading my blog because she doesn't recognize me in the posts I write. She used for example a post about things that bother me, and said "nothing bothers you!" I have been curious and perplexed ever since. It's someone who has known me for a long long time, a person who I tell most everything to, and with whom I've been through a lot of experiences and life changes, but maybe not in precisely the same way that I express them in these posts.
I think it's wonderful that every person has many dimensions. It's more complicated than acting differently in different settings or keeping parts of ourselves for some people and not for others. We show up differently in different lights, and according to what the other person is wanting, needing and thinking. I know for sure that when someone expresses a feeling very strongly, it is more a reflection of him or herself than it is about the person to whom he or she is speaking. Like advice, it's never for the person who is receiving it. It's really the person giving it, talking to himself.
I am delighted when I find out things about other people that are surprises. I hope I can figure out a way to express that to my friend so maybe she will take delight in the things she finds strange or just new about me. I'm still changing. We all are. Maybe right now I am restless and she is contented. Hmmm, but saying that I have to know I'm really talking about myself (according to my theory, anyway). Hmmmm
question - if it isn't me, talking about you, then could it be me talking about me by talking about you?
mompoet - Escher-psyche
I think it's wonderful that every person has many dimensions. It's more complicated than acting differently in different settings or keeping parts of ourselves for some people and not for others. We show up differently in different lights, and according to what the other person is wanting, needing and thinking. I know for sure that when someone expresses a feeling very strongly, it is more a reflection of him or herself than it is about the person to whom he or she is speaking. Like advice, it's never for the person who is receiving it. It's really the person giving it, talking to himself.
I am delighted when I find out things about other people that are surprises. I hope I can figure out a way to express that to my friend so maybe she will take delight in the things she finds strange or just new about me. I'm still changing. We all are. Maybe right now I am restless and she is contented. Hmmm, but saying that I have to know I'm really talking about myself (according to my theory, anyway). Hmmmm
question - if it isn't me, talking about you, then could it be me talking about me by talking about you?
mompoet - Escher-psyche
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Birds in the Trees
I took the dog for a walk along the inlet trail at Rocky Point this morning. It's really beautiful there right now. Everything is green and wet and you can't see the traffic, just trees and bushes and the tip of the inlet and the estuary and the creek. I rounded a bend and heard a strange noise up high in the treetops, something like the sound it makes when you pull a hatchet out of wood that's still a bit damp, only it repeated in staccato rhythm. It was a really piercing and distinctive sound. I looked up and saw two bald eagles way up high on the top of two tall trees, side by side. The one that was making the noise kept shifting and flouncing around, and that treetop swayed and bounced. The other bird seemed to be listening, then it raised up and flew off to another tree top a dozen meters or more away. The noisy one stayed put and kept cackle-acking and shimmying that treetop.
We have a lot of eagles around here. Sometimes there's one in the morning, in a treetop when I go out to walk the dog. What's best is when they fly. They are enormous, and they hardly flap at all, just glide, glide, glide.
That was my excitement for today. Accc-ackkk-gweek!
Question: have you seen them too?
mompoet - perched a lot lower but still swaying
We have a lot of eagles around here. Sometimes there's one in the morning, in a treetop when I go out to walk the dog. What's best is when they fly. They are enormous, and they hardly flap at all, just glide, glide, glide.
That was my excitement for today. Accc-ackkk-gweek!
Question: have you seen them too?
mompoet - perched a lot lower but still swaying
On with the Shows
Alice in Wonderland opens this week at the middle school. Of 4 performances, our daughter can make only 2 because the others conflict with final rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast which opens later this week at The ACT in Maple Ridge. Because of rehearsal rules (no moms and dads allowed) we have seen nothing of either show. We'll just get to see Alice once, but we'll know Beast off by heart by the time it closes on May 1.
Lindbjerg Academy double-casts its shows, partly so every actor has a double who can take his or her place in case of illness, also so twice as many actors get main parts, and finally so everyone gets a chance to understand the importance of both lead and chorus roles. Our daughter is playing Maurice (that's Belle's dad) on the nights when she has a lead role. On alternating nights she is a silly girl and a fork. She tells me that the chorus members have divided into cliques according to what kind of cutlery they will play in the "Be our Guest" number. She tells me that forks are superior to spoons and plates. I am so glad that she is playing a fork. It would be so disappointing not to have prongs.
In the middle of all this, she will compete in the Kiwanis music festival in two solo vocal classes. She has been in music competitions before, but only in ensemble classes. This will be her first time competing by herself and receiving ranking and adjudication bases solely on her own performance. She's a good singer and a confident performer, so I'm sure she'll be just fine. I'm especially proud that she has resisted singing songs that are too old for her. Her vocal coach has helped with this. Nobody wants a little American Idol wannabee.
There will be a time in her life for torchy, sexy songs....later.
Anyhow, the next couple of weeks will be full of good shows and lots of driving and packing sandwiches to eat on the way and lots of hanging around in the theatre waiting and/or helping.
Then in May it's the really big show - the provincial election. I'm glad that's not happening at exactly the same time, but I know which I'd choose if I had to.
Question: why do good things overlap so much?
mompoet - chauffeur to a star
Lindbjerg Academy double-casts its shows, partly so every actor has a double who can take his or her place in case of illness, also so twice as many actors get main parts, and finally so everyone gets a chance to understand the importance of both lead and chorus roles. Our daughter is playing Maurice (that's Belle's dad) on the nights when she has a lead role. On alternating nights she is a silly girl and a fork. She tells me that the chorus members have divided into cliques according to what kind of cutlery they will play in the "Be our Guest" number. She tells me that forks are superior to spoons and plates. I am so glad that she is playing a fork. It would be so disappointing not to have prongs.
In the middle of all this, she will compete in the Kiwanis music festival in two solo vocal classes. She has been in music competitions before, but only in ensemble classes. This will be her first time competing by herself and receiving ranking and adjudication bases solely on her own performance. She's a good singer and a confident performer, so I'm sure she'll be just fine. I'm especially proud that she has resisted singing songs that are too old for her. Her vocal coach has helped with this. Nobody wants a little American Idol wannabee.
There will be a time in her life for torchy, sexy songs....later.
Anyhow, the next couple of weeks will be full of good shows and lots of driving and packing sandwiches to eat on the way and lots of hanging around in the theatre waiting and/or helping.
Then in May it's the really big show - the provincial election. I'm glad that's not happening at exactly the same time, but I know which I'd choose if I had to.
Question: why do good things overlap so much?
mompoet - chauffeur to a star
Friday, April 15, 2005
I love my girl
Her pink is not the pink of an innocent blush
Not pale like proper ballet tights, Cadillacs or Mary Kay
Not sweet like bubblegum or cherry lipgloss
Not nearly so droopy or blue-pink as fuschia
Not salmon-tinged like the horizon pink of dawn or a seashell’s edge
Not chic like Chanel
Not raw like the tender edges of a wound
Not silly pink like fuzzy slippers or a bath mat
Her pink is the pink of cherry trees on opening day
Before the petals fall and soften on the ground like lost babies’ fingers
Her pink is the pink of fresh strawberry ice cream
Her pink is the pink
Of the centre of my heart
Question: none today
mompoet - mother of pink
Not pale like proper ballet tights, Cadillacs or Mary Kay
Not sweet like bubblegum or cherry lipgloss
Not nearly so droopy or blue-pink as fuschia
Not salmon-tinged like the horizon pink of dawn or a seashell’s edge
Not chic like Chanel
Not raw like the tender edges of a wound
Not silly pink like fuzzy slippers or a bath mat
Her pink is the pink of cherry trees on opening day
Before the petals fall and soften on the ground like lost babies’ fingers
Her pink is the pink of fresh strawberry ice cream
Her pink is the pink
Of the centre of my heart
Question: none today
mompoet - mother of pink
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Pope Daydream
If I say this, maybe it will go away...
Last week somebody told me that consideration was given to burying the Pope's heart in Poland, and the rest of him in St. Peter's Basilica. Turns out they didn't after all, but the idea has just kept bugging me.
I understand that it's Polish tradition to return the hearts of beloved and famous Poles to their native land for burial. It's just that I never heard of that before. I kept imagining...
Anyway, here's the picture, and the words: Somehow everytime I thought about "Pope's heart," the works morphed into "Pop Tart." Then I imagined the Pope, lying in state, kind of buzzing like an old toaster. Then a Pop Tart popped out of his chest and somebody took it and carried it away to be sent to Poland.
I guess I should try to get more sleep.
Question: Pope Tart?
mompoet - daydream terrarium
Last week somebody told me that consideration was given to burying the Pope's heart in Poland, and the rest of him in St. Peter's Basilica. Turns out they didn't after all, but the idea has just kept bugging me.
I understand that it's Polish tradition to return the hearts of beloved and famous Poles to their native land for burial. It's just that I never heard of that before. I kept imagining...
Anyway, here's the picture, and the words: Somehow everytime I thought about "Pope's heart," the works morphed into "Pop Tart." Then I imagined the Pope, lying in state, kind of buzzing like an old toaster. Then a Pop Tart popped out of his chest and somebody took it and carried it away to be sent to Poland.
I guess I should try to get more sleep.
Question: Pope Tart?
mompoet - daydream terrarium
Throat full of knives
The school board meeting went just fine last night. We were up first. Our presentation was received with no questions from trustees, but a request from one to the admin staff to report back on costs for our proposals, which is pretty standard. I spoke, and Jennie sat by, ready for questions. After the meeting, one of our PoMo trustees approached me to set up a meeting. I deferrred until mid-May. Things are just too busy now, and he seemed okay with it. I am dreading the possibility of being asked if I will consider running for trustee in the fall. But I know the answer...NO! Because I could not write poetry if I was a school trustee. That will be my answer. I think it's a pretty good one.
The dog's pajamas fit, but she got them off during the night. I'll leave them off her for the day and risk more chewing. Tonight at home I'll put them back on her and keep an eye on her. I don't want her to be half out of them while we are gone, and fall down the stairs or something. I want her rump to get better, but a spinal injury or even a sprained paw is not worth the risk.
My cold is winning again. I feel like I swallowed a bucket of finishing nails and they lodged in my throat. Yes Dad, I am drinking lots of water and taking vitamin C, and no, I am not exercising. It will pass. Meantime it's from the neck up, and the rest of me works okay, so I can keep going to work. I just can't hold anyone's baby. (We met Tina, our next door neighbour, on Sunday. Today River and Roni are bringing baby Ronan to the office for a visit.) I love to cuddle but must admire from afar. No baby wants to feel like this.
Going to a cancer benefit dinner at a pub tonight with Andy. Thank goodness those places are smoke-free these days. Couldn't face it otherwise.
Question: bla bla bla?
mompoet - ouch
The dog's pajamas fit, but she got them off during the night. I'll leave them off her for the day and risk more chewing. Tonight at home I'll put them back on her and keep an eye on her. I don't want her to be half out of them while we are gone, and fall down the stairs or something. I want her rump to get better, but a spinal injury or even a sprained paw is not worth the risk.
My cold is winning again. I feel like I swallowed a bucket of finishing nails and they lodged in my throat. Yes Dad, I am drinking lots of water and taking vitamin C, and no, I am not exercising. It will pass. Meantime it's from the neck up, and the rest of me works okay, so I can keep going to work. I just can't hold anyone's baby. (We met Tina, our next door neighbour, on Sunday. Today River and Roni are bringing baby Ronan to the office for a visit.) I love to cuddle but must admire from afar. No baby wants to feel like this.
Going to a cancer benefit dinner at a pub tonight with Andy. Thank goodness those places are smoke-free these days. Couldn't face it otherwise.
Question: bla bla bla?
mompoet - ouch
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
School Board Budgets and Dog Pajamas
Two things on my mind this morning:
The Coquitlam School Board is receiving community presentations about its 2005-6 operating budget. Consortium43 has prepared a presentation. Tonight my friends Jennie, Gwenda and I will go to the School Board meeting to make our presentation. Info about C43 is available via our email: consortium43@yahoo.ca Our presentation discusses the need for restoring services that have been lost over the past few years due to declining provincial funding. We know that our trustees have to work with what they get, but we go on record each year to say that the funding is inadequate. We will also question the rightness of relying on international students and overseas education as a funding source (our district is currently pulling in about $13 million a year from this). We'll ask for facts about the actual cost of completing seismic upgrades to all our schools (that's a capital cost, but it's on our minds) and we'll challenge the increasing reliance on parent fundraising for education essentials like textbooks and computers, and the inequities that result. Our presentation is written and has been sent to the Board already. We just have to show up, read it and answer any questions. A number of the trustees have read it already because they are members of C43.
The other thing on my mind is our dog and her "hot spot." She's at it again, denuding a growing patch on her rump. It must be itchy or just interesting. She keeps gnawing at it and taking off the fur. The medicine the vet gave us is used up, and there's no sign of any lingering infection. But we need her to stop chewing. So while I was walking her this morning I thought about the problem of keeping her away from her itchy butt. We tried a t shirt tied around her rump, but she figured out how to get it off very quickly. What we need is something more firmly attached to her body. So I have this vision that I'm going to try tonight, after I get home from the School Board meeting. I'm going to get two old tshirts, fit them to her and sew them together in the middle to make dog pajamas. Her front legs will go through the sleeves of one shirt, her rear legs through the arms of the other. Her tail will come out one neck hole, her head out the other. I'll leave the tummy part open so we can get it on and off, but I'll arrange some kind of ties so we can snug it up on her tummy. I think this will work. If we take her back to the vet he'll probably suggest allergy tests or some other expensive and potentially inconclusive approach. We'll try pajamas first.
Question: what else do I have to do in my spare time?
mompoet - vocal citizen and dog couturier
The Coquitlam School Board is receiving community presentations about its 2005-6 operating budget. Consortium43 has prepared a presentation. Tonight my friends Jennie, Gwenda and I will go to the School Board meeting to make our presentation. Info about C43 is available via our email: consortium43@yahoo.ca Our presentation discusses the need for restoring services that have been lost over the past few years due to declining provincial funding. We know that our trustees have to work with what they get, but we go on record each year to say that the funding is inadequate. We will also question the rightness of relying on international students and overseas education as a funding source (our district is currently pulling in about $13 million a year from this). We'll ask for facts about the actual cost of completing seismic upgrades to all our schools (that's a capital cost, but it's on our minds) and we'll challenge the increasing reliance on parent fundraising for education essentials like textbooks and computers, and the inequities that result. Our presentation is written and has been sent to the Board already. We just have to show up, read it and answer any questions. A number of the trustees have read it already because they are members of C43.
The other thing on my mind is our dog and her "hot spot." She's at it again, denuding a growing patch on her rump. It must be itchy or just interesting. She keeps gnawing at it and taking off the fur. The medicine the vet gave us is used up, and there's no sign of any lingering infection. But we need her to stop chewing. So while I was walking her this morning I thought about the problem of keeping her away from her itchy butt. We tried a t shirt tied around her rump, but she figured out how to get it off very quickly. What we need is something more firmly attached to her body. So I have this vision that I'm going to try tonight, after I get home from the School Board meeting. I'm going to get two old tshirts, fit them to her and sew them together in the middle to make dog pajamas. Her front legs will go through the sleeves of one shirt, her rear legs through the arms of the other. Her tail will come out one neck hole, her head out the other. I'll leave the tummy part open so we can get it on and off, but I'll arrange some kind of ties so we can snug it up on her tummy. I think this will work. If we take her back to the vet he'll probably suggest allergy tests or some other expensive and potentially inconclusive approach. We'll try pajamas first.
Question: what else do I have to do in my spare time?
mompoet - vocal citizen and dog couturier
Monday, April 11, 2005
One More Bug
I just thought of one more awful speech mannerism...
It's when a person tells you something by asking him/herself a question, then immediately answering the question:
"Do I think the Liberals will be re-elected in May? Yes, I think they will." Instead of just saying, "I think the Liberals will be re-elected."
It's especially annoying when done in sequence:
"Do I know what's wrong with my car? No, I do not. Do I wish I had taken it for a tuneup last month? Maybe, but I wanted to wait for a coupon. Looking back, do I regret procrastinating? Well, I guess I do." Arrrrggggg!!!
In this mannerism there is an implication that the listener should have been a better listener, maybe asked more questions about whatever the speaker is on about, thus eliminating the need for self-questioning. Mostly it feels like the talker likes the sound of his own voice. Or maybe he thinks he is two people?
Okay, enough about what bugs me. It's a perfect transition into boring, but I want to do a Sound Journal post before I launch into boring. I've been listening to my friend Marnie's selection: Great Big Sea.
Question: am I the only one who notices these things? or maybe the only one bothered by them?
mompoet - off my chest and done now
It's when a person tells you something by asking him/herself a question, then immediately answering the question:
"Do I think the Liberals will be re-elected in May? Yes, I think they will." Instead of just saying, "I think the Liberals will be re-elected."
It's especially annoying when done in sequence:
"Do I know what's wrong with my car? No, I do not. Do I wish I had taken it for a tuneup last month? Maybe, but I wanted to wait for a coupon. Looking back, do I regret procrastinating? Well, I guess I do." Arrrrggggg!!!
In this mannerism there is an implication that the listener should have been a better listener, maybe asked more questions about whatever the speaker is on about, thus eliminating the need for self-questioning. Mostly it feels like the talker likes the sound of his own voice. Or maybe he thinks he is two people?
Okay, enough about what bugs me. It's a perfect transition into boring, but I want to do a Sound Journal post before I launch into boring. I've been listening to my friend Marnie's selection: Great Big Sea.
Question: am I the only one who notices these things? or maybe the only one bothered by them?
mompoet - off my chest and done now
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Ear-itation
I'm still snuffling but also bored, so here I am thinking about things that annoy me. Usually I don't sweat the small stuff. That said, one of my tenderest spots for annoyance is how people say things. My usually open-minded ears pretty near jump off my head in frustration at verbal fads. That's what I call it when people start saying things a certain, irritatingly incorrect way, then more people say it, then more people.
Some of these fads are cyclical and generational. An example of this is "like," or "ya' know," peppering conversation. Teenagers almost all have a "like" or "ya' know" phase. I can live with this. It's kind of endearing, like when a teenage boy's face turns to plasticene for a year or so (Laura Moran reminded me about this in her poem, "Middle School String Ensemble") or when a girl gets breasts or first tries wearing makeup. They're all rites of passage, wholly reassuring in their predictable appearance.
The verbal fads I dislike are the ones adopted by educated, thoughtful grownups who should know better. Here are my current and unfavourite examples:
Some of these fads are cyclical and generational. An example of this is "like," or "ya' know," peppering conversation. Teenagers almost all have a "like" or "ya' know" phase. I can live with this. It's kind of endearing, like when a teenage boy's face turns to plasticene for a year or so (Laura Moran reminded me about this in her poem, "Middle School String Ensemble") or when a girl gets breasts or first tries wearing makeup. They're all rites of passage, wholly reassuring in their predictable appearance.
The verbal fads I dislike are the ones adopted by educated, thoughtful grownups who should know better. Here are my current and unfavourite examples:
- insane - as in "They still don't have jalapenos at SubWay. That makes me insane." Insane is no longer a medical term. Maybe it's a legal one still? It denotes a level of mental illness that renders a person unaccountable for his or her own actions. The computer helpdesk not calling you back, or a lack of jalapenos at your favourite lunch spot is not sufficient cause to claim insanity. Also, you cannot become insane 10-15 times a day for different reasons. Once you are insane, you are insane. For at least a couple of years. At least I think so. PLEASE SUBSTITUTE: "ANNOYED" (They still don't have jalapenos at SubWay. That makes me annoyed.)
- t=ch This is when people stop pronouncing the letter "t" and substitute "ch." As in "Choronto" (a city in Ontario) and "Chuesday" (the day after Monday). It just sounds awful (but it does NOT drive me insane). It does not sound cool. It sounds stupid. And I mean STTTUPID, not "schtupid." PLEASE SUBSTITUTE: "T" (Toronto, Tuesday, Ta-ra-ra-boom-dee-yay)
- "I seen" as in "I seen that new movie with John Travolta in it. Have you?" I heard a woman call in to CBC radio this morning. She said "I seen your contest in my local paper..." I wouldn't say anything if I thought this was coming from someone who didn't read books, or wasn't exposed to intelligent conversation. But I'm pretty sure that smart people who know better are picking up this trailer talk just to sound what...worldly? I don't know. I just don't know. PLEASE SUBSTITUTE: "I SAW" (I saw a saw on the sea horse. I don't know what the sea horse saw.)
I've been trying to figure out why this kind of thing bugs me so much. I know I don't speak perfectly, and I probably have my own annoying mannerisms (besides just talking too much in general). But I'm allowed to be annoyed, and even say so once in a while.
I've tried to figure out why people would adopt these mannerisms or verbal fads. Perhaps it's a way of fitting in and distinguishing one's self simultaneously. This is the eternal paradox of fads in general. I want to be cool and different, but only if everyone else is being cool and different just like me.
I guess the best thing to do is ignore them and get over it. The less I think about them, the less I notice them. Maybe I could write a whole bunch into a poem, but probably nobody would get it. Worse, maybe some fad-follower would think something I said was cool, then he or she might emulate it, and I'd add to the problem. Guess I'll leave it alone.
Question: Why be bothered?
mompoet - because I can
Good Video
I nearly missed it and I'm glad I didn't. Last night we watched The Station Agent on DVD. It's exactly the kind of movie I love - unassuming but it grows on you, and with a big heart. It's about a man with dwarfism who inherits and moves into an abandoned railway depot in a small New Jersey town. The story tells about the people he meets and gets to know in the town. I loved the characters and the glimpse into the life of railroad enthusiasts and the love.
This one is worth watching. Wish I'd seen it in the theatre.
Question: Whuuu? (still)
mompoet - laying low
This one is worth watching. Wish I'd seen it in the theatre.
Question: Whuuu? (still)
mompoet - laying low
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Thinkle Thinkle Little Star
It's Saturday afternoon, and our own The Svelte Ms Spelt is in Austin Texas, representing the Vancouver Poetry Slam at the International Slam Masters' Meeting. It's two hours later in Austin, where they are on Central Time. So Saturday's proceedings are probably winding up. At lunch today, I think there was an information session about bidding for the right to host the National Poetry Slam and Individual World Poetry Slam.
Vancouver Poetry House is bidding to host the 2007 iWPS in Vancouver. Our bid will be presented by Ms Spelt on Sunday morning. Elections to Executive Council of Poetry Slam Internation will also take place on Sunday morning. Ms Spelt is running for election - possibly to become the first EC member from Canada.
I've already promised to beam white light to Austin throughout the weekend and especially Sunday morning. If you believe in this kind of energy (heck, even if you don't) try to think some positive thoughts and send them to Austin Texas on Sunday morning. I'm guessing target time around 8am-11am Pacific Daylight should do the trick. Share some of the good energy that spills in excess from your heart and mind all the time. Get it to our friend who is representing Vancouver. Make our bid and Spelt's both successful.
question: ever wonder how much we could do if we all focused, even for a moment, on one good thing?
mompoet - mystical and positive at the same time
Vancouver Poetry House is bidding to host the 2007 iWPS in Vancouver. Our bid will be presented by Ms Spelt on Sunday morning. Elections to Executive Council of Poetry Slam Internation will also take place on Sunday morning. Ms Spelt is running for election - possibly to become the first EC member from Canada.
I've already promised to beam white light to Austin throughout the weekend and especially Sunday morning. If you believe in this kind of energy (heck, even if you don't) try to think some positive thoughts and send them to Austin Texas on Sunday morning. I'm guessing target time around 8am-11am Pacific Daylight should do the trick. Share some of the good energy that spills in excess from your heart and mind all the time. Get it to our friend who is representing Vancouver. Make our bid and Spelt's both successful.
question: ever wonder how much we could do if we all focused, even for a moment, on one good thing?
mompoet - mystical and positive at the same time
What's Boring?
I am going to write some boring blogs next week. On purpose. I'm currently interested in the idea of boring, so I'm going to explore it.
So far, I can think of a few boring topics:
question: did you notice that BOING is just "boring" without the r? (only BOING is the opposite of boring)
mompoet - maybe I will find out why so many people continue to watch television every day
So far, I can think of a few boring topics:
- how much I slept, what I ate, exercising
- money
- house cleaning
- television
- what somebody said who nobody else knows
- why I don't do things (ie excuses)
- how nice people are
- cute things the pets did
- everything I did at work today
- what things cost
question: did you notice that BOING is just "boring" without the r? (only BOING is the opposite of boring)
mompoet - maybe I will find out why so many people continue to watch television every day
Dough Head Snot Brain
The cold won. I'm thick with dumb-headed stupidness and sleepy. My eyes are crunchy. I drip continuously. The best I can do conversationally is, "yeah? whuuuu? mmmph." I want to drink Pepsi (I know it's bad for me, bad for the environment, a bad corporation, so I don't) but I want to. Nothing pleases me. I am dull.
Question: whuuuuu?
mompoet - viral
Question: whuuuuu?
mompoet - viral
Friday, April 08, 2005
PoMo Slam
Wednesday night we held the Arts Festival Slam at Charlie's Restaurant in Port Moody. It went pretty well. The audience was a bit smaller than before, and the number of poets decreased again (a trend since our second time out) but the people who came had fun and the poets were spectacular.
Organizing the slam has become pretty routine for me...none of the crazy wild adrenaline that I felt the first couple of times. I'm pretty sure of what to say and do now, and also confident that it will go well. I even used the book bag full of notepads and felt markers that I had from last year, so all I had to find was balloons for the sign outside.
Our feature poet, Fernando Raguero, was wonderful. He debuted his new poem about Wendy's Chili. I loved it. He also had a poem I have not heard, about how he is entering middle age. I just about died laughing at that. His poetry is totally intelligent and rich with insight. I also has lots of sex and swearing, and a guy crapping on people's lawns in the suburbs. I told him I think Port Moody is ready for him. I hope he believed me.
The whole Shoreline crew came out, which made me feel really great. Helmi helped run the show, and counted the scores. Michael subjected himself to the ire of the audience by accepting the thankless task of timekeeper once again. We talked up our group and found 3 potential new members over the course of the evening. This is very good.
A bunch of my friends from the Vancouver Slam came too. It was sure great to have them there. If it wasn't for this Port Moody Slam, I wouldn't even know them or the Vancouver Slam. Three years ago I decided to host the Port Moody slam because someone on the arts festival committee said that they were going to organize a slam (or maybe get the librarians to do it) and we, the Shoreliners, could "pad the audience." Well, I got so indignant about that comment that I insisted we be allowed to run the show, then I had to go find out what a poetry slam was. The Van Slam people were so kind. They welcomed me, taught me how to do it, and came to the first Po Mo slam and every one since. I appreciate this so very much.
The Festival Chairman, Anne Kitching, came and helped run things too. She is a sweetheart and a good sport, a true mobilizer of community power and spirit. (She's not the one who called us chair pads back when.) She always makes us feel that our small event is totally important to the success of the 10-day long festival.
Anyway, I felt competent, successful and surrounded by love and good performance poetry. Still, I want to give the PoMo Slam a rest next year. Partly, I feel that participation and public enthusiasm is starting to slide, and I'd rather end it while it's still relatively successful. Also, I'm not going to it with joy. Maybe after a year or two break I will feel like doing it again. I will find out if anyone else from our group wants to host next year, and I'll help, but I want to give it a rest, personally. The PoMo Slam has brought so much good to my life in many different ways. I hope I'll be able to let it go gracefully.
Question: It's all right, isn't it?
mompoet: setting something down gently
Organizing the slam has become pretty routine for me...none of the crazy wild adrenaline that I felt the first couple of times. I'm pretty sure of what to say and do now, and also confident that it will go well. I even used the book bag full of notepads and felt markers that I had from last year, so all I had to find was balloons for the sign outside.
Our feature poet, Fernando Raguero, was wonderful. He debuted his new poem about Wendy's Chili. I loved it. He also had a poem I have not heard, about how he is entering middle age. I just about died laughing at that. His poetry is totally intelligent and rich with insight. I also has lots of sex and swearing, and a guy crapping on people's lawns in the suburbs. I told him I think Port Moody is ready for him. I hope he believed me.
The whole Shoreline crew came out, which made me feel really great. Helmi helped run the show, and counted the scores. Michael subjected himself to the ire of the audience by accepting the thankless task of timekeeper once again. We talked up our group and found 3 potential new members over the course of the evening. This is very good.
A bunch of my friends from the Vancouver Slam came too. It was sure great to have them there. If it wasn't for this Port Moody Slam, I wouldn't even know them or the Vancouver Slam. Three years ago I decided to host the Port Moody slam because someone on the arts festival committee said that they were going to organize a slam (or maybe get the librarians to do it) and we, the Shoreliners, could "pad the audience." Well, I got so indignant about that comment that I insisted we be allowed to run the show, then I had to go find out what a poetry slam was. The Van Slam people were so kind. They welcomed me, taught me how to do it, and came to the first Po Mo slam and every one since. I appreciate this so very much.
The Festival Chairman, Anne Kitching, came and helped run things too. She is a sweetheart and a good sport, a true mobilizer of community power and spirit. (She's not the one who called us chair pads back when.) She always makes us feel that our small event is totally important to the success of the 10-day long festival.
Anyway, I felt competent, successful and surrounded by love and good performance poetry. Still, I want to give the PoMo Slam a rest next year. Partly, I feel that participation and public enthusiasm is starting to slide, and I'd rather end it while it's still relatively successful. Also, I'm not going to it with joy. Maybe after a year or two break I will feel like doing it again. I will find out if anyone else from our group wants to host next year, and I'll help, but I want to give it a rest, personally. The PoMo Slam has brought so much good to my life in many different ways. I hope I'll be able to let it go gracefully.
Question: It's all right, isn't it?
mompoet: setting something down gently
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
I Slammed with Mike McGee
Monday night was the second-to-last regular slam of the season, and what a night it was! There are still at least half a dozen poets determined to qualify for the semi-finals, and almost everyone had great new poems. I have never seen so much new energy and creativity at the slam as I did last night. Feature poet Laura Moran was superb. She has been part of the Poetry Slam in the US since it began, and hosted the 2000 National Poetry Slam in Providence. She performed poems about mythology, literature, society and love. She's a smart and talented performer and a warm, encouraging presence. I was lucky to share a table with her at the cafe for the evening.
Mike McGee is in town recording a CD with Shane Koyczan and CR Avery. Together they make up T.O.F.U. Mike is one of my favourite poets. He is hilariously funny and astonishingly real. He is a champion of champions on the poetry slam scene and a champion in my heart. I've met him a couple times before, but he has always been at the slam as feature. On Monday he competed. I had the combined honour/nightmare of being called up to perform immediately after Mike McGee.
As much as I want to make the semis, I understood the situation. I was surrounded by incredibly talented and determined poets, all performing their very best material. I was up next after the best, kindest, most successful slam poet in the world. All I could do was go up and have fun. It was liberating to just perform my poem the way I always tell myself to: as a gift to myself and audience, a celebration of my voice, dancing naked in the rain. Winning ceases to be important because I have already won, just by being there.
So I performed my new poem called "Stonehenge." The audience liked it, I felt right inside it. I didn't even make the second round, but that's okay. There's one more chance in two weeks. I don't think Mike will slam again, but his being there just helped me get over being fixated on making it to the semi-finals. There will always be lots and lots of good poets. I am one of them. More often that I could ever hope for, I will have the opportunity to perform in the presence of great poets. The best part is not the winning. It's the dance. It's the dance. It's the dance.
Question: ever heard an angel with the voice of Sean Connery?
mompoet - these feet are happy on the ground
Mike McGee is in town recording a CD with Shane Koyczan and CR Avery. Together they make up T.O.F.U. Mike is one of my favourite poets. He is hilariously funny and astonishingly real. He is a champion of champions on the poetry slam scene and a champion in my heart. I've met him a couple times before, but he has always been at the slam as feature. On Monday he competed. I had the combined honour/nightmare of being called up to perform immediately after Mike McGee.
As much as I want to make the semis, I understood the situation. I was surrounded by incredibly talented and determined poets, all performing their very best material. I was up next after the best, kindest, most successful slam poet in the world. All I could do was go up and have fun. It was liberating to just perform my poem the way I always tell myself to: as a gift to myself and audience, a celebration of my voice, dancing naked in the rain. Winning ceases to be important because I have already won, just by being there.
So I performed my new poem called "Stonehenge." The audience liked it, I felt right inside it. I didn't even make the second round, but that's okay. There's one more chance in two weeks. I don't think Mike will slam again, but his being there just helped me get over being fixated on making it to the semi-finals. There will always be lots and lots of good poets. I am one of them. More often that I could ever hope for, I will have the opportunity to perform in the presence of great poets. The best part is not the winning. It's the dance. It's the dance. It's the dance.
Question: ever heard an angel with the voice of Sean Connery?
mompoet - these feet are happy on the ground
Monday, April 04, 2005
Port Moody Poetry Slam Wednesday
It's always seems like forever until the day, then it's the day...
7pm Wednesday April 6
Charlie's Cafe 2414 St. Johns Street Port Moody
$5 (includes $5 voucher for Isabel's good cooking)
Poets sign up at 6:30
Feature Poet: Fernando Raguero
It's the most fun you will have in Port Moody. Better than the handcar races. Absolutely better than tea in the trolley. So much better than cleaning the duvet at the laundromat. OK, on par with a sunrise run at Rocky Point, but you get to sit down and eat tamales at the poetry slam.
I hope you will come.
Question: Is it safe to hoot while you eat tamales?
mompoet - warming up the hosting apparatus
7pm Wednesday April 6
Charlie's Cafe 2414 St. Johns Street Port Moody
$5 (includes $5 voucher for Isabel's good cooking)
Poets sign up at 6:30
Feature Poet: Fernando Raguero
It's the most fun you will have in Port Moody. Better than the handcar races. Absolutely better than tea in the trolley. So much better than cleaning the duvet at the laundromat. OK, on par with a sunrise run at Rocky Point, but you get to sit down and eat tamales at the poetry slam.
I hope you will come.
Question: Is it safe to hoot while you eat tamales?
mompoet - warming up the hosting apparatus
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Door Knocking
I spent the afternoon knocking on doors in my neighbourhood with Karen Rockwell. It's always funny to find out how people will respond when you arrive at their door uninvited. I've knocked for Scout bottle drives, chocolate sales and popcorn sales, Girl Guide cookie sales, canvassing for Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation and Kinsmen, and a couple of times gathering proxies for strata meetings when we were scheduled to vote on contentious issues. It's remarkable how many people have dogs who I have never met before, even though we live on the same street. Ditto cats. It's remarkable how many people wear their pajamas or bathrobes in the afternoon on the weekend, and answer the door in them very comfortably. It's interesting how uncomfortable people are when you stand on their doorstep, so much so, that there are always a few who peek through the peephole and tiptoe away.
Today most people who were home opened their doors. Karen took one side of the street and I took the other. We visited about 200 homes. She is very good at meeting the public, and struck up conversations at quite a few doorsteps. My job was to say I was out with Karen, hand out a flier and offer to have Karen come over to chat if anyone wanted to meet her. We got lots of indications of support, including many who say they'll vote for Karen, and a few who are willing to have campaign signs up out front. One man told me that he had never voted before and will probably never vote in his life. Wow! I wonder if he meant it or if that's the campaign version of telling the telephone solicitor that the person who she asked for is dead. Only 5 people flat out refused to take the printed information. One said he didn't need it, he was already sure he'd vote for Karen.
It's intriguing to me how all of this works. Karen told me she has been knocking on doors since January. This is how she successfully campaigned for her City Councillor job. Signs are important too, although I can't figure out why so many signs are needed. I get it that neighbours see a sign on another neighbour's lawn and say, "Hey, Martha's voting for Karen. Maybe I'll vote for Karen too." But dozens of signs on the boulevard? How does that do any good? I think it's obnoxious and insults the intelligence of the voter. It implies that if I read Bob's name 14 times, and Harry's name 40 times, I'll vote for Harry. But I guess it must work, because they do it. I'll have to ask one of the campaign organizers if there's any research to support this practice.
Now I'm back inside my nice warm house. My husband is cooking supper. My son has agreed to go out next weekend and help put up signs. I'm learning about things I didn't know about before and enjoying some intriguing people-watching along the way.
Question: how could you not vote ever?
mompoet - knock-knock-knocking
Today most people who were home opened their doors. Karen took one side of the street and I took the other. We visited about 200 homes. She is very good at meeting the public, and struck up conversations at quite a few doorsteps. My job was to say I was out with Karen, hand out a flier and offer to have Karen come over to chat if anyone wanted to meet her. We got lots of indications of support, including many who say they'll vote for Karen, and a few who are willing to have campaign signs up out front. One man told me that he had never voted before and will probably never vote in his life. Wow! I wonder if he meant it or if that's the campaign version of telling the telephone solicitor that the person who she asked for is dead. Only 5 people flat out refused to take the printed information. One said he didn't need it, he was already sure he'd vote for Karen.
It's intriguing to me how all of this works. Karen told me she has been knocking on doors since January. This is how she successfully campaigned for her City Councillor job. Signs are important too, although I can't figure out why so many signs are needed. I get it that neighbours see a sign on another neighbour's lawn and say, "Hey, Martha's voting for Karen. Maybe I'll vote for Karen too." But dozens of signs on the boulevard? How does that do any good? I think it's obnoxious and insults the intelligence of the voter. It implies that if I read Bob's name 14 times, and Harry's name 40 times, I'll vote for Harry. But I guess it must work, because they do it. I'll have to ask one of the campaign organizers if there's any research to support this practice.
Now I'm back inside my nice warm house. My husband is cooking supper. My son has agreed to go out next weekend and help put up signs. I'm learning about things I didn't know about before and enjoying some intriguing people-watching along the way.
Question: how could you not vote ever?
mompoet - knock-knock-knocking
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Campaign Reality Warp
Wherever you go....there you are.
I helped with the official opening of Karen Rockwell's campaign office today. I got there early to help set up and was sent off on errands (find blue and orange plastic tablecloths, a red ribbon for the ribbon cutting ceremony and coffee cups that are not styrofoam). So now I have officially helped in a helpful way. Tomorrow I'm going out with Karen to knock on doors in my neighbourhood. It's interesting to see how the campaign is put together, but even more interesting to find out who's there.
As more volunteers arrived (mostly constituency exec people) I introduced myself to each one. Pretty soon I realised I knew or had at least already met about half the people there. This continued as guests arrived for the opening. There were neighbours, and a friend from church, and my mother-in-law's good friend, and a bunch of city politicians who I have spoken to about school issues and several Consortium 43 friends. Dave Barrett was there too. First time I've met him - he was dynamite! And Jim Sinclair, who's always at the BCTF Conferences. All in all there were about 100 people, and I already knew or had met about 30 of them. So now my comfort level is increasing, especially after I met some intriguing and good new people. There was a man there who must be about 80 years old who ran for the CCF in Manitoba, and was a compatriot of Tommy Douglas when he was elected in Saskatchewan. In fact, there were a few people who knew Tommy and talked about the old days. It wasn't all old-timers though. There were a few young parent aged people with small kids. Still the over 40's predominated. What a wealth of experience and energy and positive intention in one room. Karen was very happy. The speeches were strong and short. There were hot dogs and home made cookies. It was a good party. I signed up to become a member of the BC NDP and told Karen and the campaign manager that I'll help whenever I can, throughout the next 6 weeks until election day.
I have read that if only women voted in BC, we'd have an NDP government. If only men voted, it would be Liberal again. Also, if even a fraction of the 25 yrs and under population could be convinced to vote, we'd have more NDP elected.
Question: How do we get people to vote?
mompoet - pinning on a campaign button
I helped with the official opening of Karen Rockwell's campaign office today. I got there early to help set up and was sent off on errands (find blue and orange plastic tablecloths, a red ribbon for the ribbon cutting ceremony and coffee cups that are not styrofoam). So now I have officially helped in a helpful way. Tomorrow I'm going out with Karen to knock on doors in my neighbourhood. It's interesting to see how the campaign is put together, but even more interesting to find out who's there.
As more volunteers arrived (mostly constituency exec people) I introduced myself to each one. Pretty soon I realised I knew or had at least already met about half the people there. This continued as guests arrived for the opening. There were neighbours, and a friend from church, and my mother-in-law's good friend, and a bunch of city politicians who I have spoken to about school issues and several Consortium 43 friends. Dave Barrett was there too. First time I've met him - he was dynamite! And Jim Sinclair, who's always at the BCTF Conferences. All in all there were about 100 people, and I already knew or had met about 30 of them. So now my comfort level is increasing, especially after I met some intriguing and good new people. There was a man there who must be about 80 years old who ran for the CCF in Manitoba, and was a compatriot of Tommy Douglas when he was elected in Saskatchewan. In fact, there were a few people who knew Tommy and talked about the old days. It wasn't all old-timers though. There were a few young parent aged people with small kids. Still the over 40's predominated. What a wealth of experience and energy and positive intention in one room. Karen was very happy. The speeches were strong and short. There were hot dogs and home made cookies. It was a good party. I signed up to become a member of the BC NDP and told Karen and the campaign manager that I'll help whenever I can, throughout the next 6 weeks until election day.
I have read that if only women voted in BC, we'd have an NDP government. If only men voted, it would be Liberal again. Also, if even a fraction of the 25 yrs and under population could be convinced to vote, we'd have more NDP elected.
Question: How do we get people to vote?
mompoet - pinning on a campaign button
Friday, April 01, 2005
small foolin'
I haven't got to the newspaper yet. CBC radio had a story about the aquabuses in False Creek. The story claimed that aquabus operators will now be armed for security. They will carry rainbow-coloured guns which they will fire across the bow of any vessel that threatens their passengers.
This is a takeoff on the true story about the plan to arm the Skytrain Police.
A bunch of people got all irate and phoned the talk-back line to protest the aquabus plan. One lady gave dire warnings of market-goers caught in the crossfire of harbour shoot-em-ups.
I thought it wasn't such a bad idea. Taken a littler farther yet, we could be safe in every part of our lives:
mompoet - April Fools spectator only
This is a takeoff on the true story about the plan to arm the Skytrain Police.
A bunch of people got all irate and phoned the talk-back line to protest the aquabus plan. One lady gave dire warnings of market-goers caught in the crossfire of harbour shoot-em-ups.
I thought it wasn't such a bad idea. Taken a littler farther yet, we could be safe in every part of our lives:
- Arm school crossing guards to ensure that motorists really do stop when they're told to.
- Arm the cashiers at Safeway so they can deal with people who bring more than 15 items into the express lane.
- Arm the concession stand workers at the movie theatre so we won't take so long to decide whether we want butter or margarine on our popcorn.
- Arm McDonalds servers. YES! We will have fries with that!
- Arm the ice cream truck driver. Mom will buy popsicles for everyone, everytime.
- Arm librarians. No more eating in the carrals, and everyone will remember to bring their library cards and turn off their cell phones, or else.
mompoet - April Fools spectator only
I made money on the deal
The province has cashed my cheque for $5,000 (see previous post March 22 called "Free Money from the Government"). The money for nothing is gone.
EXCEPT
For the first time every I got interest on my chequing account. One cent to be precise. So I did end up ahead. Yeeee-hawww.
Question: Should I send the government a cheque for one cent? or keep it as a "storage fee."
mompoet - you can never, ever, just be even
EXCEPT
For the first time every I got interest on my chequing account. One cent to be precise. So I did end up ahead. Yeeee-hawww.
Question: Should I send the government a cheque for one cent? or keep it as a "storage fee."
mompoet - you can never, ever, just be even
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)