Thoughts by OddChick

Bizarre Food

2010-05-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

and back to my bizarre food obsession....

Camel Legs are very popular in many parts of the world.
I like Frog Legs, so who knows.

For the brainy type, steamed Shark Head,
fresh from Singapore

How about throwing some Rattlesnake Kabobs
on the BBQ, courtesy of Texas

Dinner is not complete without some stuffed
Porcupine from Minnesota. This actually looks pretty good

An Italian favorite, Stuffed Pig's Foot

I have tried Octopus, found it chewy and bland
and am not a salad fan, so I'll pass on this next dish
from Havana, Octopus Salad.

OK, I am not even kidding about this next dish
from Nicaragua, Maggot filled cheese on Star Fish
fruit salad. Oh yum

Of course, you can always cleanse your palate with
these lemon flavored ants from Ecuador

The ants live inside branches of trees which
the locals break open and eat as a snack, live of course

Well, I'm getting pretty hungry now so I am
off to supper. Sure wish I had some Frog Legs,
man I love those things.

Our Big Night Out

2010-04-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I ventured into Edmonton Saturday night.
We went to see "Whose Live Anyway?", a live stand-up improv
show with some of the cast from Whose Line Is It Anway?

Sadly, that show ended some time ago. It was a gem.
Anyway, the Whose Live Anyway? cast consisted of (L to R)
Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Chip Esten, and Jeff Davis.

Despite having back row seats, the show was great.
Was only a hour and a bit, could have been longer,
but was great nonetheless. The show was at the River Cree Casino.

Now, hubby and I never go to Casinos. They just

don't interest us. So we are on our way into the

show, held in a room inside the Casino. The show

started at 8:00, and it is about 7:30 when we

are heading in. We pass slot machines on the way.

Hubby I said, let's try $20 before we head in.

Sure hubby says. So, we put $20 in.

About 1 minute and 8 dollars later, the machine starts

going ding ding ding and our credits start going up.

Now it wasn't a fortune mind you, but never going to

Casinos we were pretty excited by our $150 win. It paid
for our night out as tickets were $60 each.

So after the show, we decide to treat ourselves with

a meal in one of their restaurants. We are getting near

the end of our meal and who walks in but Greg Proops

from the cast. He goes to the buffet, and then sits at
the table next to us. I gave him a few minutes to get

settled (being the polite Canadian I am) and then went

over to meet him and get his autograph. I even got a

loveheart on it. Hubby also went to meet him, but did not
get an autograph with a love heart.

I think hubby is jealous of my love heart.

Bizarre Food

2010-04-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I are addicted this show called
Bizarre Foods by Andrew Zimmern.

They feature weird and unusual foods from all over
the world. And when I say weird, I mean weird.
Bizarre or weird does not accurately describe
the food on this show. So, this blog is about food
from the show, as well as other tidbits I have found.
Enjoy...but not during lunch.

This is a popular fish in Buenos Aires, a Dorado.
They only like the head.

I have recently become a huge fan of frog legs.
I Found a great place in Chinatown, Edmonton that
makes amazing frog legs - Pagolac.
Not sure about toads, but I'd try them.
These fresh frogs and toads are from Bangkok.

Again from Bangkok, yummy Pork Brain Soup.
The Pagolac sells Stomach and Intestine Soup.

How about some BBQ'd Rat from Thailand?

Thailand also loves their Beetle Salad.

Or maybe grilled snakes are more your thing...

Not for the diet-conscious - Fatty Cow Kidney from Buenos Aires.

Don't want to eat the whole fish? Try Fish Stomachs.

Surprisingly, in West Virginia you can satisfy your
craving for Squirrel Heads.

A South Korean Snack sold on the streets...

Roasted Silk Worms....

But the Sulawesi (Indonesia) prefer roasted snails.

Nothing like Braised Giant Blue Fin Tuna Eyes to open your eyes

I will feature weird foods now and then. I think it
is an interesting blog topic. Check back for updates!

Zip Line, Olympic Park - Calgary

2009-08-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Went to the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary to do some zip-lining
for my first time. It was my birthday and a toss-up
between an airplane jump and zip lining. Maybe do the
plane jump next year. Anyway, so off to Calgary with
hubby and a couple of friends. Stopped at the HooDoos,
jumped up and down on a suspension bridge, stayed
overnight in Red Deer and then went zip-lining the next day.
A very busy weekend but well worth it.

Canada Olympic Park is a pretty neat place. Primarily used
by our athletes for training, but is open to the public. As well as
being home to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, they have the
typical sports such as skiing and biking, and then they
have the cool stuff. The Z Trip is something I want to do next
time I am at the park. They put you in a clear plastic ball then
roll you down a track.

They also have Euro-bungy. Kind of like bungy
jumping but safer.

And during the winter you can ride a real Olympic Bobsleigh,
guided by the pros of course. Travel down a 1,500 metre
track at speeds up to 120 km per hour!

We were also lucky enough to catch an antique car
show at the park, and it was free of charge!

We then head to the Zip Line Station for our
practice run. This part is easy. I am on the left.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195413

So, off to the Zip Line Tower we go. Up Up Up
the elevator we go, right to the very top.

We are really high up there. The people below
resemble ants. Here we go throwing the parachute.
Again, I am on the left - a friend is on the right.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195414

I start to get a bit cocky by waving and flapping my
arms and legs. This made things go a bit faster but
not too fast.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195412

And the final descent

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195415

A very cool experience. I am now looking for bigger
and faster zip lines. Or maybe an airplane.

That was close!!!

2009-08-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

We had a twister touch down in Leduc, about 5 mins from us.
My hubby works across the street from where it touched down.
----> It picked up an entire building and deposited it across the street!

Not a lot happened on our street, the winds got very high here,
and the sky was orange. We saw weird orange flashes and our
sun porch roof almost blew off. Nothing compared to 3 streets over...

Short video:

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195271

Too close for comfort

Rocky Mountain House

2009-08-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Recently took a trip to Rocky Mountain House
and the Nordegg area of Alberta. What a
beautiful spot! Here are a few pictures and
videos from our camping trip last weekend.

We stayed at a Provincial campground, Crimson
Lake. The campground was very well kept and
had carts circulating regularly selling wood. Wood
was $5 a bundle, not bad. Showers were $2 each,
a bit steep but they were very clean and lasted
quite a while. Only 3 showers Men/Women, but
not overly busy.

This deer was a regular visitor to our campground.

He came very close at times.

Our neighbors tried to meet him but he oblivious
to their attempts.

He just ignores them and walks away....

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195247

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195250

Another regular visitor...

We were quite impressed by the design of this fire pit.
The very top part was perfect for resting your 'fire poker'.
The middle section was a grate which you could slide
over the fire. We are avid campers and have never
seen this design, so we were pretty impressed.
It doesn't take much.

They also had a great swimming/boating spot.
Sandy beach, lots of room.

We went hiking a bit, the mountains were amazing.

Some of the areas we hiked in were quite steep.

We then headed off to Crescent Falls, an
absolutely breath taking spot.

There were a few Asian tourists there who kept
asking hubby to take group shots of them. He
didn't mind though.

You can see her eyeing hubby up here, wondering
if she should ask him.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195249

The girls were quite brave sitting on the edge of
the waterfalls. The boys did not join them.

And some very brave folks climbed down the
side to get to the bottom pool.

Hubby and I had been hiking for an hour or so in
temperatures hovering around 30C. The crystal
cold waters of the falls were a welcome relief.
The power of the water was quite surprising.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195246

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195251

Rocky Mountain House/Nordegg area is truly a
hidden gem.

Honeymoon Suite

2009-07-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

For all of you who are old enough to even
know who Honeymoon Suite is, (http://www.honeymoonsuite.com/)
they played on Canada Day, in a field in Leduc. It was
great weather and they had a large turnout for such
a small town. Here is some live footage.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195019

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195018

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195015

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195016

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195017

"Bad Attitude"
Misheard Lyrics:
That's me on your toast
Original Lyrics:
Best be on your toes.

"Feel It Again"
Misheard Lyrics:
Defeated again
Original Lyrics:
Feel it again.

"Burning In Love"
Misheard Lyrics:
I'm still a lonely man burning alive.
Original Lyrics:
I'm still a lonely man burning in love.

"Stay In The Light"
Misheard Lyrics:
Keep your talking inside.
Original Lyrics:
Keep your target inside.

3 years to the day

2009-07-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was 3 years to the day since we moved
from Nova Scotia. There was a tornado watch in
Lacombe, not far from us

http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090704/EDM_funnelcloud_090704/20090705/?hub=EdmontonHome and funnel clouds were spotted.

Here in Leduc, we had some wicked rain.
Here are a few videos from our deck....

Here it comes out of nowhere....
http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195008

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195009

We are only about 1 or 2 mins into the storm,

check out how much the water has built up already,

especially around the drain near the sidewalk

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195010

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195011

Here is the drain, about 2 mins or 3 later

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195012

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195013

And about 2 mins more, all is quiet

http://www.medicinefilms.com/pill/195014

and then it's all over.

Top 10 Of Everything

2009-05-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Now here is a chocolate Easter bunny....

It's at a store called Fassbender & Rausch in Berlin.
It's made up of 11320 smaller bunnies.

And did you know the world's largest Easter egg is
right here in Alberta

It is located in Vegreville, Alberta (Canada)
It weighs 5000 lbs and measures 18.3 ft high
by 25.7 feet wide. It was constructed in 1975
to welcome Ukrainians settling in the area.

And again from Berlin, we have to world's largest bunny

Herman weighs 22 lbs and eats 2kg a day, mostly lettuce.
Herman is 3 ft long, his ears alone are 21 cm long.

An Easter egg hunt to keep the kids busy for a while.

510,000 Easter eggs were hidden in Cypress Gardens,
a theme park in Florida. 1000 of the eggs held special
prizes including scholarships.

We all love those little marshmallow peeps. Now you
can savour the taste all day long

For the devout kid on your list

Didn't you just hate all that leftover fluffy stuff
in your basket. You had to dig through it to
find the few remaining candies. Now you can
eat your way to the bottom

I love mini eggs, but I'm not sure about
mini eggs filled with pop rocks

Some weird traditions from around the world...

In Germany, they burn all of their leftover Christmas
trees on Easter day. This is to encourage a sunny Spring.

The Easter Bunny may be the symbol of Easter

here, but not in Australia, it's the Bilby. Rabbits

have destroyed much of the crops in Australia and

are not a favoured species!

In Hungerford, Berkshire (Britain), a policeman blows

a horn, summoning all of the men to the town hall.

The men then roam the streets giving oranges to

women in exchange for a kiss.

In Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia women believe

they can keep their youth by being spanked. On Easter

Monday, it is tradition for men to throw water on women

and then spank them with handmade whips of willow.

Ouch.

And finally when you take your kids to visit the

Easter Bunny, don't visit this one

Odd Christmas Gifts

2008-12-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long.

In the spirit of the holidays, here are
some odd Christmas gift ideas.

For the Darth Vader Fan

Jumping Santa

Inflatable Fruitcake

Christmas Themed Toilet Paper

Charlie Brown Tree

Shot Glass Wreath

Pop Rocks - Candy Cane Style

USB Musical Santa - Kinda neat

Inflatable Christmas Tree - For the very lazy

Bake Those Cookies

Remember Your Monitor At Christmas Time

Hoo Doo U Think U Are?

2008-07-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Our trip to the Hoodoos started on Thursday,
with the purchase of camping gear. This
took awhile since we kept forgetting things
we needed, and had to keep returning to
Canadian Tire. Anyway, some several
hours and hundreds of dollars later, we
had all of our camping gear. We think.

So on Friday, off to the Badlands we go. It was
a waaay longer drive than we thought it would be. No
comment on that subject. However, it was well
worth it.

On Saturday, we start out by going to Drumheller to see the
world's largest Dinosaur - an 86 foot tall plastic
dinosaur. You are welcome to climb the 106
stairs to the top for $3. We just took pictures.

and bought some cool fossils.

It's not super clear, but here's what you get:

We also bought wood and bones:

and a fossilized escaping bug

The entire trip was filled with fields of Canola flowers.

We then headed for the HooDoo Trail. HooDoo Trail
is part of the Badlands. The HooDoo rock formations
are fascinating.

Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 metres tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged (in other words, no climbing allowed).

The name "Hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the Hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders.

It is illegal to climb certain areas or deface the rocks.
Sadly though, there is some graffiti carved into the rocks.

We could not believe the people climbing these rocks!
The slope was very steep and covered in fine sand.
There were some people climbing in flip flops!
Crazy. I was surprised at the kids allowed up there.

Next we checked out the Rosedale suspension bridge.
The sign said a maximum of 20 people on the bridge
at any one time. There were way more than that, which
made us nervous. But we went for it anyway. It was
very windy and the bridge was swinging back and forth.
We met an old fellow on the way back who looked terrified.
The bridge is 117 metres high and felt it.

Further on our travels, we saw this tiny little church on
the side of the road. It was small en0ugh that it almost
looked like an ornament. Turns out it was a real church.
This 7'11" Church seats 6.

The last stop on our trails is Horse Thief Canyon.
This canyon is reputed to have 'stolen' many horses.

Horses would disappear into the canyons of Red Deer River

and later re-appear wearing a different brand.

You are very high up. With no fences. And prairie

dog holes lining the edge of the viewing area. You have
to be very careful when walking around the edges.

We are on our way back to the camp site, and spot this cute little ferry.
It operates on a pulley system, you ring a bell to get
service. We were pretty tired at that point so didn't
do the ferry adventure. The hill leading to the Ferry

was very steep.

It was a great experience and we saw lots of interesting things.
Our campsite was very nice and wooden, and we were
visited regularly by bunnies and friendly old men.

Who didn't like their pictures taken.

The bunnies, not the old men. We didn't try

to take their pictures.

Floating Priest

2008-04-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back. Sorry for the delay. I just didn't have
any blog worthy material for awhile. Sometimes
you feel like a blog sometimes you don't.

Anyway, here is an odd story out of Brazil.
Reverend Adelir Antonio de Carli wanted to
raise some money for his church, God bless
him.

The world record for time spent
in the air floating by balloons was 19 hours.
By God, he was going to beat that record.

So the only obvious choice was to
tie hundreds of helium balloons to himself,
strap on a helmet and thermal suit and float
away. He also brought lots of cereal bars
and water. The cereal choice was rather
smart I thought.

After about 8 hours of balloon time,
ground control unfortunatley lost contact with him.
He has not been heard from since. He has
been balloon floating for 5 days now.

Although this story comes with a flavour
of humor, you can't help but feel bad for the guy.
But, if he does not make it back to earth he likely
has a good chance of making it to his final chosen
destination.

For those who are interested, here is a quick

video of the balloon lift off:

http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Noticias/0,,GIM818189-7823-RECOMECAM+AS+BUSCAS+AO+PADRE+QUE+SUMIU+NO+MAR+DE+SANTA+CATARINA,00.html

Vulcan Alberta?

2007-11-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

A nearby town has plans to build the biggest

Harley Davidson in the world.

Fairview, AB hopes to attract Harley Mechanic

students to nearby NAIT. NAIT is the

only place in Canada to train as a

Harley mechanic. You can read the story

it here.

Alberta is famous for having lots of

unusual roadside attractions. In

Airdrie, you can find a huge Cowboy.

Or in Andrew, you can find the

world's largest Mallard duck.

How about the world's largest Beaver?

Located in BeaverLodge. Naturally.

World's largest putter, Bow Island.

And this one is located in Edmonton. I

must check this out. World's largest

western boot.

And in Vulcan, Alberta we have

the Enterprise. I know a guy who

would probably move here if he

knew this. There's really a Vulcan, AB?

You can find lots more here. This guy's site

has been around for awhile and has developed

very nicely over the years and I have featured

his site in the past.Visiting some of these would

make for a great day trip. I must check some of these out.

Procrastinating Geese

2007-11-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it's happened. It has snowed. A whole
3 centimeters. And the Geese are panicking.
All the Geese that have been procrastinating
are suddenly checking their daytimers.

The early birds started leaving about 2 or 3
weeks ago. But not these guys, they are
just shipping out now. They sound louder
and more panicked than the first crew or two.
And I think they are flying faster.

A friend of mine owns a house near a pond.
Or maybe it's a small lake. I think it's a pond.
Anyway, he said sometimes before the Geese
leave for their trip south, they rest on the
pond/lake and the pond/lake is totally covered
in Geese. That would be neat to see.

Here are some facts about our feathered friends.

Why do Geese fly in a V formation?
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each bird flew on its own.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Reminds me of Edmonton traffic.

When a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.
This would not happen if you broke down in Edmonton traffic.

Life expectancy of Canada Goose is about 20 years
Life expectancy of a Canuck is 75-80.
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/health26.htm

Average weight of a Canada Goose is 20-25 pounds.
Average weight of a female Canadian is 153 lbs, for
a male it is 182 lbs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_weight

Geese mate for life.
Not all humans do this.

Geese can fly 60 mph but generally coast at 40 mph.
The drivers on the QEII HWY should

drive 70 mph but generally fly from

80-100 mph.

Average number of eggs in a nest: 5
The birth rate in Canada is at an all time
low - 10.75 births/1,000 population.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ca.html

Average incubation time for a Canada Goose 28 – 30 days.
Average human incubation time is 280 days.
http://www.vardaan.net/pregnancyduration.php

During June adult geese lose wing feathers
(molting) and are unable to fly.
I have no comment to make here.

Here is a neat story about Harley the Goose,

who has imprinted on a man and his...what else...

Harley Davidson.

If you are really nuts about Geese, there are

products made just for you.

Proclaim your love of Geese with this stylish

bumper sticker:

Or this lovely necklace:

How about a Goose windchime?

Or a nifty wall clock?

Honk if you love geese.

Just not while driving in Edmonton.

Boo

2007-10-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it's almost Halloween. Now, back home

this would be somewhat of a big deal. Back

home being Nova Scotia. There would be

office pot lucks with witches fingers and

graveyard pudding. Although certainly

celebrated here in Alberta, it is not a real

big deal. They will be doing something

where I work, but not sure yet what.

Besides they already have Christmas stuff

out in some stores. Merry Halloween.

Here are some facts about Halloween:

Pumpkins can also be white, blue and green

Samhainophobia is an intense fear of Halloween

Some people believe that if you put your clothes

on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween

night, you will meet a witch

Pumpkins are 90 percent water

90 percent of parents admit to sneaking goodies

from their kids' Halloween trick-or-treat bags.

Halloween is the second most commercially

successful holiday; Christmas is number one

According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror

at midnight on Halloween, you will see your future spouse

A caramel apple has 550-600 calories

The pulp from a pumpkin

can be used to soothe burns

Or it can be used to bake a cake:

Winter has arrived in Alberta

2007-09-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well, looks like winter has arrived in Alberta.

In September none the less. We had a wicked

hail storm here this past Saturday. According

to Wikipedia it only hails here 1-3 times per year.

Ha. We have seen it hail at least 5 or 6 times so far.

The highest temperature recorded in Edmonton was 34.5°C (94.1°F) on August 5, 1998.[13] Some areas, however, such as the City of St Albert and Sherwood Park recorded temperatures of 37.7°C (99.9°F) on July 22, 2006, while the downtown core managed to reach around 35°C (95°F). The coldest temperature was −49.4°C (−56.9°F), recorded on January 19 and 21, 1886.[14] and hails occur on an average of 1 to 3 times a year

Let's hope we don't break the cold temperature

record while we are here.

So, here are a couple clips of the hail storm. Turn

your speakers up so you can hear it. At the bottom

are a couple pics.

http://www.medicinefilms.com/digs/190391

http://www.medicinefilms.com/digs/190392

http://www.medicinefilms.com/digs/190393

http://www.medicinefilms.com/digs/190394

http://www.medicinefilms.com/digs/190395

Fore!

2007-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

So I was in a golf tournament this past Thursday.
It was my first time golfing. Ever.

I was golfing with my boss, who was most patient,
in a charity tournament. I don’t think I did too
badly, I hit the ball at least which is a good start.
I was no where as good as my teammates
of course but they were good about it.

One of the Edmonton Eskimos was at the tourney.
Actually, he was an auction item. Our team bid
on him and we got to have him on our team.
His name was Willie Pless. He was a pretty
good golfer and an even better sport. I would
hit my ball like 15 feet off to the left and he
would say “Good try, good try”. All of my
team was patient which made the day more
bearable. Because golf is just a wee bit slow
for me.

I turned out to be not too bad of a
putter, I actually got the ball in the hole
once much to my surprise. We golfed for
6.5 hours. I had hurt my back just a bit
from lifting weights earlier in the week
so I sat out the last 4 or 5 holes. Again,
my team was most understanding. My shots
were not helping the cause much anyway.

My boss almost lost me once. See, each time
she would stop the golf cart, I would get out,
she would tell me what club number to use,
we would go tee off. But once she stopped to
let another cart by, which I did not see. Boss
stops, I hop out. Boss drives away. I am
standing there waiting for my instructions.
Boss looks beside her – no passenger.
Lucky for me she didn’t drive too far, I got
back in and we continued on our merry way.

Here are some facts on Willie Pless, my teammate:

Willie was born February 21, 1964 was a star football
linebacker in the Canadian Football League.
Willie played his college football at the University of
Kansas. As a Jayhawk starter for only three years he
amassed an amazing 633 tackles. In 1991 he signed
with the Edmonton Eskimos as a free agent. During
his eight years with the Eskimos, he set club records
for most all time defensive tackles (813), tackles in
one season (177) and, on four occasions, tied the club
record for defensive tackles in one game (12).
Pless won numerous awards and honours throughout
his tenure as an Eskimo.

All in all the day wasn’t too bad. There was lots of
free snacks, drinks, and the usual temptations.
We were given a free pair of “professionally fitted
golf shoes” which I may or may not use.
The BBQ dinner was really good. Willie signed
an autograph while we ate. I wondered how he
felt about being disturbed while he ate his dinner.
He was very pleasant about it. Willie gave a speech
and then he was off to catch a flight. He left us
his 50/50 tickets. The boss and I stayed for a bit,
discovered we didn’t win the 50/50 draw and we took off.

So, I can now say I’ve been golfing. Would I do it again?
Not likely. Although I did have fun with the team
I was on, I suspect that would not be the case in a regular
game of golf. It’s unlikely the golfers behind you would
say “Good try, good try” when you hit the golf ball
15 feet off to the side.

There are a lot of rules on these golf courses. Wear this,
don’t wear that. They even tell you to wear socks.
Why? How can this possibly affect the golf course or
your game? No jeans either. Again, why? It’s beyond
me. If I was a paying golfer, I would resent them telling
me how I should dress for the day. Maybe I hate socks.
Maybe I love jeans.

I went to the driving range once with a friend and that
wasn’t too bad so maybe I will try that a few times before
taking on Tiger Woods. I wonder if Tiger Woods showed
up with no socks if they’d send him home?

Shoo Fly

2007-08-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I have been stalked by a Fruit Fly for
6 days now. And I do mean stalked.
It lives here in my apartment. For almost
a week now it has followed me everywhere.
Into the bathroom, into the kitchen, living room.
He is even here right now watching me.
Which is weird.

For those who know me, I am anti-fruit.
And the fruit that is bought for hubby
is like oranges, apples etc. A minimal
amount is kept in our storage container
in the fridge. Plus, I thought Fruit Flies
only lived for a day or so. This fly is

obsessed with me and it is creeping me

out. So I decided to learn about about

this Fruit Fly species. See how they tick

and plan my strategy.

Fruitflies are attracted to very ripe or damaged fruit in the field where they lay their eggs. The life cycle in summer is approximately 7 to 8 days, with adults laying about 700 to 800 eggs in a 20- to 30-day life span (UC-Davis). Populations build up as temperatures become warmer. Ideal temperatures for development of this insect are in the low 80s F (27-30 C). The flies do not lay eggs at temperatures below 54 F (12 C) or above 91 F (33 C).

So there you go, I simply need to keep my

apartment below 12 degrees and no more

Fruit Flies. But where are the eggs coming from?

We have no very ripe fruit - actually I even looked

and as of yesterday we had 2 apples and one orange.

And some canned fruit - but I don't think they are coming

through the cans. And I'm sure it's the same Fruit

Fly - he looks the same. And he sounds the same.

And why me and not hubby? Do I smell like a banana?

Some other random Fruit Fly facts

Official name is Drosophila melanogaster.

The males are the smaller of the two sexes.

Are studied to test properties of many diseases.

Click here for studies on Fruit Fly Fights.

Fruit Fly DNA chart, I have no idea what this means.

One single gene controls courtship in Fruit Flies,

by changing just one gene, scientists can

make a female perform the courtship ritual of the male.

You can breed your own Fruit Flies here.

Here is a Fruit Fly with 2 bodies:

That's it for now, but remember:

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana

The Accidental Tourists

2007-07-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

Not knowing that Albertans were rabid about their
camping, hubby and I waited until Tuesday to try
to book a camping spot for the Canada Day long weekend.
Big mistake. Albertans are also fanatical about Canada
Day. Which is a good thing, but not this weekend.

After almost 2 hours of calling we find a spot.
In Edmonton. 45 mins from us. But, after living in a
basement apartment with no balcony this looks good to us.
We book for Fri, Sat, Sun night. Friday comes. The weatherman
predicts a 60% chance of severe thunderstorms. I hate
the weatherman. Having camped in the rain we know how
painful this can be, but we don't want to lose our spot.
We decide to go pay for the 3 nights, and come back later
to set up if the weather cooperates. Hubby heads in.

I give hubby the wrong address - I had been calling so many
campgrounds I lost track. Oops. Poor hubby, he calls back
and gets the right address which is on the other side of town.
Hubby calls 45 mins later. "We don't want to stay here" he says.
Turns out their 'camp sites' are in an open field, no fire pits, no
shelter, no nothing. So hubby comes home and back on the phone
we go, venturing further out into the wilderness of Alberta. We
luck out, first place hubby calls has sites open. First come first
serve. It is in a town called Hinton. Hubby looks at map, doesn't
look far, "maybe hour or hour and a half" he says. Turns out it
is over 4 hours. It is near the Mountains, by Jasper. Not a good
start having left at almost 6pm. But hey, we are going to the
mountains. To live with the wild animals.

So anyway, we arrive in Hinton at about 11pm and eventually find
the campground. "We are full", the campground owner tells us.
"But the Graveyard Campground down the road will likely have
some sites open", he says. This sounds suspicious to us but
we have no choice. "If not, come back and we will stick you
in overflow camping" he adds. Gee, that sounds reassuring.

Off we go about one kilometre down the road to the Graveyard.
We find out it is called Graveyard Campground for a reason.
We drive around this dusty, desolate campground looking for
the registration building. We spot campers and roll down the
window. "Where is the building to register?" Hubby asks.
"Oh, there is no building" the camper guy says, "You just find
a spot wherever you can and put your money on a tree in the
little boxes" he says. We stare at him dumbfounded. Turns out
there are also no showers or flush toilets either. We leave.

We go back to first place. I think they feel sorry for us
at this point. They give us a spot and we go set up,
exhausted but still hopeful. About an hour or so into
setting up, just as we finished, a guy pulls up in a car.
"Um, I think this is my spot" he says. Turns out hubby, who
I do love but want to kill at that moment, read the map wrong.
Hubby is not normally directionally challenged and I begin to
worry about him. It could be the 5 hours of driving and lack
of food for 12 hours, but who knows. Anyway, the camper dude
is having a stag party and needs his reserved spot. I am tempted
to stay and join the stag group just because it would be easier.
But that is not an option. Our only option is relocation.
Hubby does not know I am yet aware of our predicament.

Hubby looks at me, terrified. I can see hubby
thinking - "Which would be worse...to kill this
guy or to tell my wife?" He does not need to tell me
as I have heard the horrors and am already packing up.
Bear in mind, it is now midnight and we have not eaten
since noonish. Happy campers we are not. Off we go to
our new spot. Which is really a new improved spot because
now we are right by the showers and water supply.
As things start to improve, hope returns. We go to our new
improved site, set up, have a very quickly cooked, very
burnt crumbled hamburger a la bun, and get ready for bed.
Luckily we had put up our tarps because it rained hard that
night. But we were mostly undamaged in the morning.
"Bit cold last night" I say to hubby the next morning.
"Yes" he says. Hubby is a man of few words in the morning.
"I have heard it can get cold in the mountains" I say,
"maybe we should pick up a blanket in Hinton", the nearby
town. So we do - two actually - which is the smartest move
this trip. The next night, Sat night we were sitting by the
fire. You could literally feel the temperature drop beginning
around 9pm. We began to see our breath as we spoke. This
was not a good thing at only 10pm.

By 11pm I had on 2 pairs of socks, 2 sweatshirts and
a flannel jacket. Hubby was dressed in similar attire.
Couple from across the way invited us over so we went
there for beer, fire, and festivities for the evening
We also got a Bear lesson. We had noticed all these
Bear rules posted over the campground:
None of the following allowed in your tents or on the
camp site overnight: toothpaste, cologne/perfume, shampoo,
deodorant, liquor, and of course food. You had to store these
items in your car. You also cannot leave any dirty dishes
around or scraps of food. You are supposed to empty dirty
dishwater in a special bear proof receptacle, but no one does.
They do follow all the other rules though.

We didn't notice how cold it had become until we left
for our tent. Man alive was it cold. Lucky we bought
the blankets cause we had 2 light sleeping bags, a
flannel blanket and a big comforter, plus all our layers of
clothing on. We were freezing all night. It was so cold you
could feel it though the air mattress, through the layers of
clothing, into your back. You had to keep your face below
the blankets because it was just too cold outside the blankets.
Not sure how cold it got but it was damn cold. Going to pee in
the middle of the night was not an option. I'm sure ice cubes
would have come out. The next night was a bit better but still cold.

So, having found ourselves in the mountains we decided to do a bit
of touring. Wow. Jasper - what an experience. We met mountain
goats, had a bear encounter, and were blown away. The
mountains were stunning, and the Columbian Ice Fields
were very interesting although very cold. We were not
prepared to venture into ice fields having brought sunny,
camping clothing. But we persevered. Here are a couple
pics and short videos from our adventures in the mountains.

Click here for the photos

My first attempt at the video aspect of the camera

A drive through the mountains

The Mountain Goats

The amazing view

Powerful Waterfall

Waterfall 2

Waterfall 3

Speeding Ticket

2007-06-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's happened. A speeding ticket.

It was no high speed chase or anything fun.

The infamous Photo Radar of Alberta nabbed

me. I have heard of many others being nabbed,

but I don't speed. Much. OK, so I was doing 66

in a 50 zone but let me explain.

First of all, for those of you who are not
familiar with photo radar, it works like this:
City Police set up photo radars in odd places
like vans, behind bushes, and I have even
heard of them being in fake signs. Most

commonly in cars, vans etc. They sit there

unmanned and when cars go over a certain

speed they take a photo of your license plate.

Then they mail you a ticket.

The area I got nabbed was a very, and I do
mean very, heavy traffic area. Anyone who
has driven home during Edmonton rush hour
knows exactly what I mean. Bumper to
bumper all the way to the Highway.
The string goes 30 you go 30, it goes 60, you go 60.
You go with the flow or risk being crushed.

So this leaves me to wonder how many others
in the string of cars got nabbed. Did a bit
of research about the so called 'cash cow' system
of Alberta. Consider this from 2002:

"Last year Edmonton police scammed $15,007,607
milking the cash cow and bilking the motoring public."
http://members.shaw.ca/halotic/radar/ <-- There are some

very interesting facts on this site. And some amazing

horror stories.

That works out to over $41,000 per day. In Edmonton

alone. 5 years ago. In case you are wondering, the revenue goes to

the police stations, not charity, community funds or any

other such benevolent act.

So anyway, gonna cost me $100, but no points or other penalties.

Guess I'm a true Edmontonian now.

Word Origins

2007-05-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently sent me an interesting email about word origins which I thought I would share.....

Bet you didn't know these things... In George Washington ' s days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

**************************************************************
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

**************************************************************
In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man." Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."

**************************************************************
Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman ' s face she was told, "mind your own bee ' s wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile" In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . therefore, the expression "losing face."

**************************************************************
Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced". . . wore a tightly tied lace.

**************************************************************
Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "Ace of 'Spades. ' To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."

**************************************** * ***** ****************
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there." The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."

**************************************************************
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's."

**************************************************************
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem..how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.).

Signs of Summer

2007-05-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Summer is on its way. How do I know?

I saw the sign today. The dandelion. The

dreaded weed. The above photo

is a real portrait of the official dandelion.

I know cause I took it myself.

The first known dandelion in Alberta.

Probably.

Everyone hates dandelions.

Personally, I love them. They are pretty

and unassuming. I would love some day

to run through a field of them. Naked.

Well, I might leave my socks on.

And dandelions are nutritious:

The leaves are nourishing, containing high amounts of Vitamins A, B complex and C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and many other trace elements.

I have a friend who is a caffeine addict, so he may be interested in this:

If you're looking for a good coffee substitute, here's one to try.
First, harvest some dandelion roots (late summer roots are the most 'fat' and full of healthful properties). Don't try to air dry them as they apparently are attractive to bugs and such, and don't dry well using slower methods. But if you dry them in the oven at about 200 degrees for an hour or two, they'll be ready quickly and won't lose much of their nutrient properties. Then, simply grind them like coffee, and prepare yourself a tasty beverage that isn't even all that bitter.

Hmm...not sure about that one. I have

tried dandelion wine and I must say it

is pretty gross. Dandelion coffee?

Seems dandelions are a big ingredient

in food - in Wilton, Maine there's a

cannery that imports and cans

only dandelion greens.

Some Facts:

Growing dandelion greens for market generates millions of dollars a year in the U.S.

Many popular herbal teas, weight-loss products and organic vitamin supplements contain dandelions. Check the ingredients.

Fifty five tons of coffee substitutes made from roasted dandelion roots are sold each year in England, Australia, and Canada.

Recipes using dandelions appear in one of every four general cookbooks in the U.S.

Dandelions are a favorite food of hogs, poultry, deer, silkworms, purple finches and gerbils.

Make liquid fertilizer by immersing a handful of dandelion leaves in a pint of water, bring it to a boil, cover and allow it to cool. After it is cooled, strain the liquid off, dilute with four parts of water. For a leaf spray, add one teaspoon of liquid soap (not detergent)

I really like it when dandelions dry up and

become fuzzy blowers. There is an artist who

sells lights that look like fuzzy blowers.

That's all for now, have a Dandy Day!

Crappy Car Chronicles

2007-05-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

So our car has been overheating for awhile.
Was OK in the winter but with the warmer months
coming, figured we'd better get it fixed. So
Saturday morning hubby takes the car to
Canadian Tire. First mistake.

Canadian Tire says they can fix it either

Saturday or Sunday. Fair enough, we

wait at home. Sunday arrives. Canadian Tire calls

us about noon. "We tried to fix your motor fan and
we broke your housing unit." Great. Good job.

Turns out our car is so ancient (1990) the part may

be hard for them to locate. "But that is our only car"

hubby tells them. They tell us the car is completely
undriveable and suggest hubby call some pick-your-part
junkyard in Edmonton. So he does. We quickly discover

that contrary to popular belief, not everything is open
in Alberta on Sundays.

What to do? Well, we reason, the car may not

be worth fixing. But, the longer Canadian Tire has it,

the more the bill is going up. And not in a fair way.

Time to remove our car from clutches of Canadian Tire.

Since we were told the car was no longer driveable, we
arrange for a towing service to meet hubby at Crappy
Tire. Canadian Tire was surprised to see hubby to say

the least. Why you ask? Well, the car was driveable,

the only difference was it now had some cracked
housing thing which did not make the car any worse.

It was functioning the same as when we originally

brought it to them. We were clearly lied to.

Hubby drives the car home. Luckily tow truck man

was understanding and waived any fees. Have I mentioned

I love the men in Alberta? They are awesome.

So, car still has overheating problem and can only go
short distances. We decide it is not worth fixing,
let's buy another car. So we start calling ads. Second
call we luck out - a very kind mechanic man hears our
tales of woe and offers to come up and pick hubby up,
and drive him to Edmonton to see the car. Hubby
sees car, drives car, likes car, buys car. Hubby
is on his way home with our new car. Hubby calls
halfway home. Car died. Hubby calls mechanic,
who sold us the car, and who is most understanding.
Mechanic man towed the car back to his place and gave
hubby his money back.

Mechanic man says "I can loan you a car to get home with,
and tomorrow I will have this fixed (timing chain) and

you can re-buy it". So, off hubby goes in the borrowed car.

Halfway home hubby calls, the car ran out of gas.

No friggin way! I say. Yes friggin way! Hubby says. So,

hubby makes another call to mechanic man

(it is like 11pm at this point). Kind wonderful mechanic man

comes to the rescue again. Hubby gets gassed up, calls me,

says he will be home in about 1/2 hour. I expect hubby about

11:30 or so. I fall asleep on couch. About 1:30 in the morning in

walks hubby. I look from hubby to clock, clearly confused.
What happened? I ask. Hubby has a glazed kind of psychotic
look on his face. "I took a wrong turn, and ended up in Camrose".

Now, this is particularly funny to those who know me. I am,

let's say slightly directionally challenged. Hubby is the

navigator in the family.

We both just laughed hysterically for about 5

minutes then went to bed. The next day we wake

up, decide we cannot deal with buying any more cars.

"Did you like the car you borrowed?" I ask.
Hubby did. The car runs well, it's here, we go see our

mechanic buddy and buy it.

Strange Google Searches

2007-04-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Most of you are probably familiar
with the Google 'bug' of typing
"miserable failure" into Google.com,
click the "I'm feeling lucky button"
and the White House pops up,
complete with a picture of Bush.
Here is an article explaining how
that happens. Rumor is, that the
folks at The White House are currently
trying to fix that 'glitch'.

Here is another kind of odd search
result which someone sent to me.

Follow Directions exactly:
Go to Google.com
Click on Maps.
Click on Get Directions.
From New York, New York.
To Paris, France.
Read line # 24 .

And even Google has a sense of humor.
They accept public submissions for
funny logos etc...which can be viewed here

And here are some specialized Google search engines
including an upside-down Google world.

That's it for today....

Plug it in

2007-04-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently sent me a video of a USB device...

it was small Snoopy dog equipped with a USB, when you

plug it into your computer, Snoopy gets 'friendly' with

your computer. I have weird friends. But I have an

even weirder mind, so I got to thinking - I wonder what

other strange USB devices are out there....

Meet the Duck. For only $99 you can have your own

plug in duck, available in 6 different colors.

Or maybe you want your memory stick to

look like a piece of wood. Again, a bargain

at only $99.

Or Sushi...

Or maybe you live in an anti-fur building like

me and cannot have a real pet. This hamster

is for you.

Or, maybe you work in one of those new fangled

no-smoking buildings. This device claims to make

'secret smoking' easier.

This I might buy at Christmas....

Or maybe a fish tank

This is actually quite clever, a USB powered

vacuum cleaner, like a mini dust buster.

Or maybe you want to grab a quick fondue

Wonder what the future brings for these devices.

Maybe there will be plug in clones of ourselves we

can leave at our desk. Now that would be sweet.

Snack Attack

2007-04-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

When you've got the munchies....

Here is an neat company in Edmonton.

When you are hit with those late night

munchies and nothing is open, or it is

too scary to go out...just call Snack Attack.

These guys will deliver munchies right to

your door!

Their customers include a variety of

folks from pregnant women to the

"usual buzzed suspects". http://snackattack.ca/site2/

I wonder about the dangers of second

hand smoke...

Prices are not bad either. $2 for a bar,

$2 for chips, $3 for a pop. They are

open till 4:30 in the morning and even

take debit at the door!

Cool and unique business idea, I hope

these guys do well.

I have a friend who is a self admitted

chocoholic, maybe I'd best not send

him this post...

Hoppy Easter

2007-04-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

The South American Tinamou known as the Easter Egg Bird
lays multi-colored eggs in blue, green, pink, yellow and purple.

The first Easter baskets were made to look like bird's nests

The traditional act of painting eggs is called Pysanka

The world yearly production for chocolate bunnies is 90 million

When it comes to eating chocolate bunnies, it is the ears

that are preferred to be eaten first by as many as 76%

Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps

In 1953, it took 27 hours to create a Marshmallow Peep.

Today it takes six minutes.

Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a

pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossed in prayer.

And did you know there are hidden gems, sort

of like secret codes, hidden in your software

and other applications...visit here to see some

examples: http://www.eeggs.com/

Expensive Pizza

2007-04-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

When we first came to Alberta and ordered pizza,

we thought "Wow, is pizza expensive here". Costs

about $20-25 for a decent pizza here compared to

$10-15 back home. And I'm yet to find a pizza

place that truly thrills me....so if anyone knows of

any... So awyway, the pizza prices seemed slightly

steep until I met the $1000 pizza. I didn't meet

it exactly (I don't run in those pizza circles) but

I did hear about it. $25 no longer seemed like a lot

for a pizza. So here it is, the $1000 pizza:

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1429852020070315

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York restaurateur has cooked up the most world's most extravagant pizza -- a $1,000 pizza topped with six sorts of caviar and fresh lobster.Nino Selimaj, who runs six pizza restaurants in New York, on Wednesday unveiled his Luxury Pizza, a 12 inch (30 cms), thin crust topped with caviar, lobster, creme fraiche and chives. Cut into eight, it works out at $125 a slice."I know this won't be for everyone but there are people in New York who can afford it and once tried, they'll be back for more...

Fish Eggs on a pizza? Not sure about that...

Pair this with Sam Adams beer which averages $100 per bottle

and you have one expensive date. One bottle of Sam Adams

beer once went for $4900:

A college professor paid $4,910 for bottle No. 1 of the new Sam Adams Millennium beer from Boston Beer Co. in a charity auction at Yahoo.com http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000387.php

Think I'll stick with my Keiths and $25 pizza

Judge Judy

2007-03-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

One of my absolute favorite shows is Judge Judy.
She is direct and to the point, calls a camel a camel.
I thought it might be interesting to dig up some
facts on Judge Judy and Petri Hawkins Byrd,
the bailiff on the show.

Judge Judy made its debut in 1996.

Judy enjoys spending time with her grandchildren,
snorkeling, ice skating, and Ebargain Shopping on the internet.

Judy was not happy with the first title of Judge Judy, which was
'Hot Bench'. She argued for a different title and won.

Judy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February, 2006.

Judy and husband Jerry performed the marriage
ceremonies of all four of their married children.

Judy's husband Jerry is also a judge.

Judge Judyisms:
"On your BEST day you're not as smart as I am on my worst day"
"My grandmother always told me; beauty fades, but dumb is forever!"
"Sir don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining."

Byrd is a native of Brooklyn, New York.
Byrd is married, his wife is Felicia Byrd, they
have 4 kids. He is a resident of Elk Grove, California.
Byrd is also a Motivational speaker.

Famous Byrd Quote:
"He's as sharp as a bowling ball"

Is that a gun in your pocket or...

2007-02-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

Well, have one more week off before I start
an exciting new job. Chose carefully
this time and have a job I know I will love.
Just finished finalizing the details of my
contract. Even managed to get a parking
spot thrown in which is a feat in itself
for the city Edmonton.

So, as I was laying around not
doing much of anything, I picked up a
book to read. In the book it says that
all male residents of Switzerland, if they
are of an age to be 'eligible for military
service' MUST be armed with a rifle in
their home. This is in case Switzerland
is attacked without warning.

I thought "Can this be true?" So I go
to the God of information, Google.
Sure enough, site after site tells me
it is true.

" Ownership of an assault rifle is mandatory in
Switzerland for all men liable for military service,
i.e., all men under fifty."
http://www.anchoragepress.com/archives-2004/lettersvol12ed50.html

Call me naive but I found this stunning.
It also gave me cause for concern.
So I looked into their crime rates and in
particular, gun crime rates. They are very
low, lower than most part of the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1566715.stm

So, maybe that's the secret...if everyone is
armed, no one wants to be the first to shoot.

I also worried about the chances of children
accessing these mandatory guns. However,
the firearm accident is also very low. Likely
due to the fact that they are trained from
an early age how to properly operate the
weapons.

All those guns and I am afraid to play paintball!

What bugs you?

2007-02-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me this video regarding the

finer points of insect consumption

http://www.supload.com/vid/cuisine/103112635/wmv/

So, I got to thinking...why don't we eat insects?

It is just because they are creepy crawly looking?

Lots of things we eat are creepy crawly looking.

Take broccoli for instance. Looks gross, tastes

gross. Maybe some of these bugs are really

tasty but no one has given them a chance.

So in fairness to bugs out there, I encourage you

to start eating bugs. They are free, easy to hunt,

and apparantely nutritious. Obviously the most

appealing to crunch into would be the June Bug.

Consider this:

Protein in 100 grams of June Bug: 13.4

Protein in 100 grams of lean ground beef: 27.4

Throw a couple of cups of June Bugs into your

next hamburger helper and save a few bucks!

So there you go. Cheap and nutritious. To help

you get started I have included a recipe:

Chocolate Crispies
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 12-ounce chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dry-roasted crickets or beetles

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt;
set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla;
beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and insects,
mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls
onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

And remember...Toasted June bugs have a surprisingly sweet delightful taste.

The flavor closely resembles thick raw molasses or crudely

made ribbon cane syrup. It is difficult to eat just one.

Crushed into fine powder, bug-flour added to hot water forms a

rich nourishing drink perfectly suited to victims suffering from

anemia, dehydration, and other maladies. If mixed with warm

milk, it has a malted milk taste. http://www.wwmag.net/junebug.htm

The many benefits of bugs.

Ancient shark

2007-01-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be lazy this week.....

An interesting story in the news last week.

An ancient shark was caught on video. The

shark usually resides some 2000 feet below.

It must have been sick and drifted to the surface.

The story:

TOKYO - A species of shark rarely seen alive because its natural habitat is 2,000 feet or more under the sea was captured on film by staff at a Japanese marine park this week.
The Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, was alerted by a fisherman at a nearby port on Sunday that he had spotted an odd-looking eel-like creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth. Marine park staff caught the 5-foot long creature, which they identified as a female frilled shark, sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because it is a primitive species that has changed little since prehistoric times. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16785254/?GT1=8921

The video: http://www.devilducky.com/media/56918/

The end

The Water People

2007-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Who are the water people you ask?

They live upstairs from us.

They keep us awake day and night incessantly running water.

The running of the water appears to be random

throughout the daytime hours, but without fail begins nightly at

about 9-11:00pm. And continues until the wee hours.

And off we go....

To the sink, run the water for about 10-15 seconds, turn water off, walk away.

Wait 30 secs, return to sink, repeat procedure 40 MILLION FRICKING TIMES!

This occurs as I write this blog. I could get fancy and even include

sound clips of the ever running water, but I'm not gonna.

We pondered what could cause this immense water consumption.

Could it be related to the wrinkly skin syndrome somehow?

(See earlier 'Wrinkled in Alberta' post)

Maybe they own shares in the water company?

We thought it may be they own a camel.

Maybe they only have a small bowl for the camel and thus

have to walk back and forth to fill the camel's water dish.

Maybe one of them has OCD of the hand-washing variety.

That would be sad, but still very annoying.

Musical Trains

2006-12-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

An exciting thing happened in Leduc recently.
A musical Christmas train came through the little
ol' town of Leduc.

Formally knows as The Canadian Pacific Railway
Holiday Train Experience, it is a Christmas train that
travels through Canada each year and stops in
communities along the way. It is a completely
decorated train and when it stops, they open up
a couple of the box cars (doors on side of train)
and have bands inside.

The bands this year were Wide Mouth Mason

and Lisa Brokop. They play music for about

30 mins. Lisa Brokop played some nice Christmas

tunes but the Wide Mouth Mason dude was a bit

loud for the atmosphere. But good nonetheless.

They are very dedicated artists, performing

seven shows per day.

There is free hot chocolate and you can donate to
the food bank. It was tons of fun. The weather
was nice and mild which was a blessing. There were
lots of people there and the kids were quite excited.
So excited in fact, we got 'bullied' off of the snow bank
we were standing on. I wanted to kick the kid down
the snow bank, just give a little shove really - more
like encouragement, but Hubby stopped me. So I
pushed hubby down the snow bank. Just kidding.

Wrinkled in Alberta

2006-12-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

So I was doing the dishes the other night and

when I was finished I noticed, not for the first

time, that my hands seemed to be abnormally

wrinkled. You know that kind of wrinkled after

you get out of the bathtub. My hands did not

get this wrinkled doing dishes back home. (Home

being Nova Scotia, here being Alberta) My hands

are waaaay more wrinkly after doing dishes here.

I also noticed the same effect after taking a shower.

I asked hubby if he notices this wrinkly hand syndrome.

Yes! He exclaims (hubby hardly ever exclaims).

He had noticed the same thing while doing dishes,

taking showers... etc . I wonder why this is?

A little background on what causes wrinkly fingers:

Even though you can't see it, your skin is covered with its own special oil called sebum. Sebum is found on the outermost layer of skin. Sebum lubricates and protects your skin. It also makes your skin a bit waterproof. That's why getting caught in the rain, hopping in the shower after a game, or washing your hands before dinner won't leave your skin soggy. Sebum is there to keep the water out.But what happens when you spend a long time in the water? Well, there's only a particular amount of sebum on your skin at a time. Once the sebum is washed away, the water can make its way into the outer layer of skin. The water does this by osmosis. This is when water actually moves from one thing into another, from a place where there is more water to a place where there is less water. There is more water in the pool than there is in your body, so it naturally moves to the place where there is less water - you!Although your fingers may look shriveled like raisins, they aren't really shriveled - they're actually waterlogged! The extra water in your fingers causes the skin to swell in some places but not others, and that's what causes the wrinkles.

So Is Alberta water zapping us of our Sebum? And Why?

Is it a government conspiracy? Are Aliens involved?

The Energizer Bunny? (see 'warped mind' post for the

humor behind that) I just hope this wrinkly skin

syndrome does not carry over onto my face.

Wanna make a commercial?

2006-11-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or are they playing the same commercials
like a zillion times a day on the TV stations? And I am
not even home that much to watch TV. But when I do
it's the same commercials over and over.

It started with the Head-On commercials.
Now it's the A & W commercial. You know the one.
The couple go to a fancy smancy meal and are
hungry when they leave (no wonder). So they go
to A & W and fall in love over a burger. In the
commercial the A & W server approaches their table
and asks them 'Will you be having dessert tonight?"
Yeah, like that happens at A & W. With the little
snots that usually serve you, you're lucky they can
get your order straight, nevermind being concerned
with your dessert requirements.

Why do these super-rich companies torture us with
the same ads over and over? Has it become a trend
to do so? Maybe it costs less to air the same one

over and over as opposed to air different ones.

I got to thinking, how much is it to air a commercial?
Just to air it, not considering costs involved in the
making of it. Well, consider this:

In the mid-1990s, the average 30-second prime time
network television advertising spot cost about $100,000.
These same spots on a top-rated series average about $325,000.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/P/htmlP/primetime/primetime.htm

For the Olympic Games, held this year in Turin, Italy, 30-second prime-time spots are about $700,000.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/27/BUG54GT20T1.DTL

At $2.5 million per 30-second spot, the average 2006 super bowl commercial is unattainable for most businesses.

http://wistechnology.com/article.php?id=2677

Wanna revisit some of those old favorites?
Try this site for a blast to the past:
http://www.retrojunk.com/list_commercials.php

Warped mind?

2006-11-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

My husband thinks I have a warped mind.
He may be right.

But, you cannot watch the newest energizer
commercial and tell me it doesn't look like
the alien gets um... excited over the little pink
bunny. It took a few viewings of the commercial
to see it was only his arm. Of course it is
not any other appendage, but it sure looked like
it on first glance.

Or maybe I am warped.

http://www.energizer.com/advertising/default.asp

Mind you, the online version is pretty dark so you

really need to see the TV version to see what

I mean. Or don't see what I mean.

But the oddest thing about this commercial, you know
those little disclaimers they put at the bottom of
commercials - 'Professional Driver - Do not attempt' etc...
Well the energizer alien one has the 'dramatization' disclaimer.
I hope they are joking I really do. Who is going to actually
believe that aliens have abducted the beloved pink bunny?

Although, after seeing the reaction from that alien, I would be
highly suspicious of his intentions. Poor bunny. He may never
bang on his drum again.

Swan Love

2006-11-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

Cute story in the news...

Black swan falls for pedal boatAAP

A LOVESICK Australian swan and his plastic
paramour have become an unlikely tourist
attraction in Germany. The black swan was
already a curiosity when he arrived at Aesee
Lake in the north-west German city of Munster
a few months ago, as European swans are white.
He has caught the imagination further by falling
in love with a plastic pedal boat shaped like a swan.

The Australian bird has spawned a cottage industry,
with T-shirts, snow domes and keyrings sporting its image.
Biologists say the black swan is showing all the typical signs
of love for his species - circling his plastic lover, staring
longingly at it and making crooning noises. So much so that
tourists are afraid to use the swan-shaped boat for fear
of upsetting the visitor. A yacht school owner, Peter
Overschmidt, complained: "When I sail too close to the pedal
boat, the black bird puffs up its feathers and hoots at me.
"This behaviour proves that the swan has built an attachment
with the pedal boat," said biologist Dirk Wewers from the
local Allwetter Zoo.

Sadly, biologists are worried that because swans

are monogamous, this one will waste his life pining

away for his plastic lover. Expert Andrea Klein is worried

what will happen when the boat is locked away for

the winter, but is relatively confident the swan will recover.
"Though it is losing its life partner we think its chances

for survival are good, as living on that lake it

has (made it) become semi-domesticated - otherwise

it would never have fallen in love with the white pedal-boat

swan in the first place," Ms Klein said. "As long as it gets

plenty of food and water it should be fine."

Black swans are peculiar to Australia, but some

were introduced to Europe by Dutch explorers in the

18th century. Sightings of the birds in the wild

in Germany are rare.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20482694-29677,00.html

Dept of Motor Vehicles Horror continues.....

2006-11-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

For those of you not familiar with this horror story,
see my post of Sunday, October 01, 2006 for some
background info.

I get a call from the Dept of Hell aka Motor Vehicles.
Despite the excruciating pain they have put hubby
and I through, they want another go at us. As you
know we had, after a prolonged torture session,
managed to register for Alberta licenses. We were
both given temporary licenses some time ago and
we awaiting the real deal to arrive in the mail.
Then they called. Seems they sent our licenses
to some imaginary address they pulled out of
their ass and they were returned to them in the mail.

They call to tell us this, and to inform us that
1) our temporary licenses are now expired
2) we must again go to the Dept of Hell to re-register.
'Why can't you just mail it out to the correct address?'
I innocently ask. They feed me some mumbo jumbo about
30 days having passed and us having to re-verify our address
and province of residence because 30 days has passed since
our initial registration/torture session.

I came very close to slamming the phone down.
I really wanted to tell them to F*** Off but a little
voice inside my head would not let me. But I really
really wanted to.

We cannot go through that torture again.
I don't think we could take it. we have decided to drive
with our expired temporary licenses.

3 Beer Limit

2006-10-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Well, my alcohol limit appears to be 3 beer in a
6 hour period. Yes folks, one beer every 2 hours.

This past weekend, hubby and I decided to give
our brains a break, got a few beers and settled in
to watch some movies.

Soon after hubby is ready to hit the sack.
But not me, no way. I was feeling pretty
good. Why not stay up for a bit? I said to
myself. Why not have a glass of that wine
that's been sitting in the fridge? Big mistake.
So out to the kitchen I go. I take the wine
out of the fridge. The wine is not yet opened.
This could require some coordination but I
was feeling brave.

So I get the corkscrew. The first attempt was
a disaster. All I managed to do was put a hole
through the cap, the corkscrew simply would
not grab. Same deal for my second, third, and
fourth attempt. By this time I had managed
to whittle a little hole through the centre of the
cap AND cut my finger just a little bit on the very
sharp tinfoil cap. So I hold the wine bottle upside
down over my wine glass. Dribble by dribble I
manage to get a half glass of wine and a few
pieces of tinfoil. Probably best I only got half a
glass considering my current circumstances.
So off I go with my hard-earned, half glass of wine
and tinfoil sprinkles.

Next morning I get up with my headache.
Soon after, hubby gets up. I explain the wine
bottle episode to him. Hubby looks at me,
trying not to laugh in my face. "That's because
it's a twist-off cap" he says.

Blogs of the Rich + Famous

2006-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

There sure are a lot of blogs on the net.
I got to thinking - I wonder if there are
any famous blogs by celebrities? And
there are. Many do not keep their blogs
even close to current but here are some
that are fairly current:

Madonna:
http://madonnasthoughts.blogspot.com/

Ellen DeGeneres:
http://telepicturesblog.warnerbros.com/ellenshow/

Bare Naked Ladies:
http://www.bnlblog.com/

Gene Simmons:
http://www.genesimmons.com/

Jann Arden:
http://www.jannarden.com/journal_archive.php

Michael Moore:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php

RuPaul:
http://www.rupaul.com/weblog.shtml

William Shatner:
http://www.williamshatner.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;file=index&catid=&topic=3

Rosie O'Donnell:
http://rosie.com

Barbara Streisand
http://www.barbrastreisand.com/

Anne Rice:
http://www.annerice.com/

Taxes in Alberta

2006-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

When I first arrived in Alberta, and saw what office
jobs paid, I was a bit disappointed. They do pay less
than they do in Nova Scotia. However, when I got my first
paycheque, it was way higher than I thought and
wasn't sure why. I've heard the 'tax rate is lower
in Alberta' but until you see it on your cheque that
doesn't really mean much to you.

You see, I actually earn $10,000 less here in salary than
I did in Halifax. Yes, 10 thousand less. But, my paycheque
is only a couple dollars less.

Today, I took an intro to payroll course. I could not believe
the difference in the tax rates. Nova Scotia is actually
the WORST IN CANADA. The WORST. Check out
last year's chart below. For those who do not do
their own taxes or could care less about provincial
credits, basically the higher the number
the better.

As of July 1 2006,
Alberta's has actually rise to $14,999

They are also very diligent about paying
overtime here. EVEN if you are on salary.
Of course that is the law, but some places,
especially Eastern Canada, do not pay
overtime to salaried employees. They are
supposed to but do not. They do here.
But employers also expect a lot more out
of you. More bang for the buck. Nova Scotia
employers are much more relaxed. There
are no office potlucks here. And despite the
poor employment opportunities in Nova Scotia,
NS employers do seem to appreciate their staff
a bit more, which is odd considering the labour
shortage in Alberta. In NS they thank you with
words, here they thank you with money.

One thing I did find surprising was the
minimum wage. I expected it to be
somewhat higher here than what is
it. Keep in mind though, practically
no job here pays minimum wage. You
can work at Fast Food joint for $12 an hour
and get a scholarship and bonuses to boot.
But for interest sake I have included the
minimum wage chart below. Some have not
changed in quite a while as you can see.

Yes, it is definitely better to work here. But is
it better to live here? We are still debating.

Drug dealers, buses, and the cold

2006-10-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

So I took the Greyhound bus for the first time.
Went from Leduc to Grande Prairie. The bus
ride up was rather interesting. There was the
somewhat expected crowd of half-corked and
pierced individuals. And the line-butters. God
how I hate line butters. The ones who saddle up
beside the front of the line instead of BEHIND it
and then 'work' their way into the line.
There is a lot of line jumping in Alberta.

But most interesting of all was the "I'm not 18 yet"
drug dealer sitting behind us. She talked non-stop
about the various parties and bars she had been to
across Alberta. That must not have had enough of
a desired effect on her friends. She then proceeds to
pick up her cell phone and make various calls to her
'customers'. "I'm just coming back from Edmonton and
have a new shipment of 'you-know-what-it ends in Y' ,
I have yellows, blues, and the new sparkly pink ones."
She was especially proud of the sparkly pink ones as she
mentioned them numerous times. I do admit they sound
pretty but I don't think I'd eat one, whatever it is. Oh,
and did I mention her entire conversation was sprinkled
liberally with F's. Oh, yeah - and there was a mother and
her 7 or 8 year old kid right across the aisle from her.

So anyway, drug dealing girl puts her white leather 'bag
of goodies' in the window beside my arm. I know they were
her goodies because I saw the white zip lock bag sticking
out where she had tried to zipper the pouch. So she takes
the bag back, puts it back 4 or 5 times in the next hour or so.
Each time, she is shoving it farther and farther up the window
so it is almost right next to me at this point, totally in my space.
I'm thinking "why would she want to give me her drugs?" Then
it dawns on me, she had been mouthing off. Should the bus driver
or anyone have called the cops and they stop and search the bus,
guess who the drugs are beside? Me. So I shove the bag
waaaay back into her spot. She mumbles something under
her breath but she does not try it again.

Grande Prairie is a neat little town. Actually it's not so little.
Had a great time with the cuz and very very good food. My
poor hubby, he hardly ever gets home cooked meals. I always
feel so guilty when I see him scarfing down home made meals
like he is a starving animal. But not guilty enough to make
home cooked meals. Although I have been known to throw
some chicken or steak on, I do not prepare a typical Holiday
meal. I admit, I have never made a pie.

The trip back was less eventful. R slept most of the way and I
read manuals for my job. Some of the rumors regarding bus
travel appear to be true, such as:
1) All bus drivers are cranky
- I think it is a requirement
2) You will meet a variety of interesting individuals on the bus
- some you will wish you never met.
3) The bus ride does not seem as long as it sounds
- time goes suprisingly fast
4) and most importantly try to avoid using the bus toilet
- it is Co-ed and many users do not have good aim,
especially while moving.

Another thing I found to be true. You know when you
hear someone say "but it is a dry cold" and you think
"yeah right, whatever- cold is cold" But, there really is
a such thing as a dry cold. The morning we left to come home,
it was minus 12. Cuz told me and I said 'yeah- right' so cuz
promptly retrieves his outdoor thermometer (he was quite
proud of this thermometer) and shows me. And I can't
believe my eyes. I am standing outside, I can see my
breath, and it is not cold. R and I stood outside the Bus
terminal for 10 mins with our jackets open (sorry Mom) and
we were not cold. It was weird. And that was my trip.

Heaven

2006-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am in Heaven. I finally gave in and
joined animation factory. It was a bit
expensive but well worth it! They have
tons and tons of high quality animated
graphics. On anything. You can pick
almost any topic and they have graphics
for it. Unfortunately, blogs usually won't
support high quality animations. You can
sneak the odd one through though.

So my blogs will be that much more
exciting now. As will my homepage
which I am updating with new graphics.
http://www.oddchick.com/

And for those of you who have emailed
me wondering if R finally got his license,
yes he did. FINALLY. I won't bore you
with the details but let's just say it was a
very painful process for all involved.

Well, we are heading off for Grande Prairie
soon for our turkey dinner. This will of course
take away homepage time, but I think I
can handle it. I think. I wonder if they
sell a patch for my kind of addiction?

The stuff works

2006-10-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

I rarely sing the virtues of products but I will
say this - Cold Fx works. The over the counter
cold medication. I was feeling a bit crappy, starting
to come down with a cold. It started to progress
so I decided to fight it. I am going away this weekend
and refuse to have a cold. So anyway, I get some
Cold Fx. I follow the directions for and feel better after
only 3 or 4 hours. By the next day, cold is almost gone.
I tried it a couple years ago and it worked just as well but
now I know the stuff works for sure. It is well worth the
$20.

And then I find out Cold Fx was developed by an Albertan!

"The combination of its effectiveness, safety and all-natural profile, has earned COLD-fX a loyal following in Western Canada, where Dr. Shan along with25 University of Alberta scientists first discovered COLD-fX 12 years ago and have conducted extensive laboratory and clinical tests ever since." http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2005/17/c1719.html

So hopefully the effects last and I won't be sick for turkey time!

Same hell different province

2006-10-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Department of Motor Vehicles.

How many of you twitched just reading
that phrase? The department that strikes
fear into the hearts of even the most
courageous.

So our 3 month deadline for switching our
drivers licenses over to Alberta is coming due
very soon. One good thing is they are open on
Saturdays from 9-1 here. So yesterday, after saying a
quick prayer, we set off. We arrive. Line up is
reaching the door. We debate leaving and coming
back next week but since we were already there,
we decide to tough it out.

As we wait in line for 20 minutes, we listen to the panicked
conversations around us. "Oh God I hope I have everything
this time" the woman behind us frets. Another woman is
relaying the story about her adventures in the Department
of Motor Vehicles yesterday, how she got turned away and had
to return again Saturday. We glance at each other and kind
of smirk because we are confident of surviving the Department
of Motor Vehicle obstacle course. We have tons of ID, I even have
a government issued ID from my employment with the province
of NS. We both have valid, current, clean driving licenses.

A teller becomes available and it's now our turn, finally.
We approach the counter. We explain what we want.
But alas, she cannot assist us as she is a new 'trainee' and
cannot handle our request. She directs us back to the
front of the line. This time, a suitable teller opens.
Then an amazing thing happens. A woman 3 people
behind us, runs to the open wicket, taking my turn and
bypassing the others in front of her. Needless to say I
don't put up with that. I run up behind her. "Excuse me"
I say. "Oh", she says and looks around as if she did not
realize there were others in the line up.
She goes back to her spot.
We take our rightful place at the open teller.

We again explain what we want.
"We need a paystub or bill with your name and
address on it before we can help you". We almost cry.
We leave. We look at the time, we have 10 minutes
before they close. We live 3-4 mins away.
We floor the gas, run into the apartment and gather our
latest paystubs. R even brought copies of his time sheets and a
photocopy of the last pay cheque which his boss includes
with each stub. We fly back. Arrive 4 minutes before closing.
Run up to door. Line up is now at the door. Again, we debate
leaving but with this much time invested in it we want to get
it over with. We enter. There is a group of 3 people just sort of
hanging around the doors, it was not clear if they were in line
or waiting for friends to finish. Thought I'd better check just
to be sure. "Are you in line?" I politely ask the woman in
the group. "Yes!" she replies, "and there's no way anyone's
getting ahead of us!" Wow. Been here long? I wanted to ask
her but didn't. Another 20 mins, we reach the front of the line.

We approach a new teller who has not yet heard our tale.
We again explain what we want. She starts the game
by requesting ID. OK, that we know we have covered.
We pull out our driving licenses, she scrutinize them,
she gives them a pass. Asks for one more piece of ID.
I pull out my government ID. "We do not accept
government issued ID" she says. HUH? I offer my NS
Health care card (we have been waiting for 2 months
for our Alberta Health card). "I'm sorry, that is unacceptable
as well". Hmmm. "What do you accept?" I ask.
"A bank card" the teller replies. OK.... I give her
my bank card. Now onto the paystub. Paystub passes with
a small amount of negotiations. I pass the first set of hurdles.

She turns her beady little eyes on R (her eyes get
beadier as the day wears on). R produces his ID, it passes.
R produces his pay stub, copies of time sheets, copy of last
paycheque. She studies them intently, looking for anything
she can criticize with her mean, beady little eyes. The head
company R works for is in BC, as are many trade companies.
"This company is in BC" she says. "Yes..."R says waiting
for her point. "We can't accept this, how does this prove you
live here?" R points out his full name and complete address
printed on both the pay stub and copy of pay cheque.
"We can only accept your pay information if it is from
a local company". Again, HUH? "I can't help that", R says,
"The head company issues the pay cheques and that is where
they are located." "Well, yes you can help it" beady eyed
bitch replies. "You can ask you boss to find an address here
to use, he must have a local office." "Or you will have to ask
him to type you a letter telling us you live here". WTF?!

Why on earth would it matter who pays you?
I was employed up until a month or so ago with
the Province of NS. What would they have done
if I walked in with a NS pay stub.
And NS gov't ID.
Imagine the carnage.

I got processed finally. But poor R has yet to make
another trip. He will have to request a letter from his boss,
and go back with the pile of ID and papers again next week.
And for this folks we pay $75 each.

Cut off by NBC

2006-09-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

So my downloading days are over. For movies anyway.
I got the cease and desist order that's been making its
rounds from NBC. And they do nail the odd person so
I'm not taking any chances.

And I was just getting so good at it.
I finally understand codecs, SVCD and such
and they cut me off. Buggers. But I suppose it's fair.
But it still sucks. However, there are still lots of legal
torrents, with excellent documentaries and movies.
Older movies but legal to download. Oh well,

Re: Unauthorized Use of NBC Universal PropertiesNotice ID: (deleted) Sep 2006 07:17:22 GMTPlease be advised that NBC Universal and/or its subsidiary and affiliated companies (collectively, NBC Universal) are the owners of exclusive rights protected under copyright law and other intellectual property rights in many motion pictures and television programs, including the title(s) listed below (the NBC Universal Properties). NBC Universal diligently enforces its rights in its motion pictures.It has come to our attention that Telus Corporation is the service provider for the IP address listed below, from which unauthorized copying and distribution (downloading, uploading, file serving, file ""swapping"" or other similar activities) of NBC Universal's motion picture(s) listed below is taking place. We believe that the Internet access of the user engaging in this infringement is provided by Telus Corporation or a downstream service provider who purchases this connectivity from Telus Corporation. This unauthorized copying and distribution constitutes copyright infringement under applicable national laws and international treaties. Although various legal and equitable remedies may be available to NBC Universal as a result of such infringement, NBC Universal believes that the entire Internet community benefits when these matters are resolved cooperatively. We urge you to take immediate action to stop this infringing activity and inform us of the results of your actions. We appreciate your efforts toward this common goal.Please be advised that this letter is not intended to be a complete statement of the facts or law as they may pertain to this matter or of NBC Universal's positions, rights or remedies, legal or equitable, all of which are specifically reserved.Please send us a prompt response indicating the actions you have taken to resolve this matter, making sure to reference the Notice ID number.Very truly yours,Internet Anti-Piracy Team,Worldwide Anti-Piracy OperationsNBC UNIVERSAL100 Universal City Plaza 1220/2Universal City, CA 91608tel. (818) 777-4876fax (818) 866-2155

What constitutes a pet?

2006-09-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

The one downside of moving to Alberta is
the fact we had to give up our cats, Squeak
and Samba. And we are now in a 'no pets
building'. And I got to thinking, what
constitutes a pet anyway?
Fur? Feathers? 4 legs?

I asked him about getting a cat - just in case
there was some little soft spot in him.
"No, I don't like no animals" he says.

So I thought what if I got a goldfish? How can
he tell me I can't have a little goldfish? Is
a goldfish considered a pet? An iguana?
Hamster? Gerbil?

I'll just get a little pet, surely that can't hurt.
Something with short fur and short legs.

Chocolate Fountains

2006-09-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

So we tried out the Casino.
Doesn't do much for either one of us.
This is why we only once every 3 years.
We didn't win but it was OK for the
short time it lasted. Plus our limit is
only $20 each so you can't expect to
win too much with that.

But the best part of the night was the
way home. We stopped at a place
that had a Chocolate Fountain. I'm not
usually fond of buffets, but seeing it had
a chocolate fountain I was sold. The food
was actually pretty good. They had jumbo
shrimp, mussels, roast beast, ribs,
desserts, and best of all a chocolate fountain!
It was like some kind of fantasy. Endless flowing
chocolate and lots of things to dip in it. Good
chocolate too, not the cheap kind. There was a
constant group of women around the chocolate
fountain. I think the men were scared to approach.

Well, this of course means extra time on the gym set,
so off I go!

Snow in Alberta

2006-09-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

Snow. Yes it's true. It took about
3 news reports and lots of people
telling me before I started to think
it may be true. Then I watched the
news. 45-60 cm in South Western
Alberta. And talk of it heading our way.
This fact does not please me.

On a brighter note, I got a promotion
at work already. I am going into the
accounting department next week.
I kind of lucked-out because the
girl that is currently in that position
is leaving. Kind of too bad because
she is really nice. They are a good
bunch. But it works out good for me.
They are planning on sending me
on a training course in Calgary.
Should be interesting, haven't done
too much accounting, just dabbled in
it here and there. Should be good
though, plus there are more
bonuses at that level.

Totally off the topic, watch a movie called
Hard Candy the other night. That movie
is not for the faint of heart. About a teenage
girl who traps a pedofile. A bit disconcerting
but sends a strong message.

Well, guess I'm off to look for winter clothes...

Dawson College Shootings

2006-09-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

More shootings. More violence.

Kimveer Gill was a very angry, messed
up person. He hated everything as his
postings will attest to:

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:Pa4WdORZYBMJ:www.vampirefreaks.com/profile.php%3Fuser%3Dfatality666+kimveer&hl=en&lr=&strip=0

and he took it out on the world.

It is very sad that Anastasia DeSousa lost her
life because of his anger. And more may yet lose
their lives. And so many injured and hurt.

But in the end Kimveer Gill did not suffer as he
cowardly put a bullet through his head. Some may
say the world is better off without him. But if I were
a family member of a victim I would want to see the
perpetrator answer for what he or she did. Instead of
taking the easy way out.

The car lives on!

2006-09-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

The car lives on! After my amazing hubby R fixed
it of course. Power steering line broke. Then, believe it
or not, the other power steering line broke that night.
I didn't even know there was more than one. Then,
the car died. Right beside a funeral home. I kid you not.
Something about a fuel pump reset switch hidden in
the trunk, I guess that is common in Fords. If you
hit a pothole, swerve, or burp loudly this fuel pump
switch turns itself off. R discovered this while desperately
reading the car manual. Imagine - a car manual that
is useful! Even if the car isn't. Or wasn't. But we are
on the road again, maybe we will limit it to short drives
for now, get a new car in the Spring. A very smart friend
of mine says to avoid leasing so maybe we can save some
money and buy a new, or at least newer car.

Planning to see my cousin A and his wife in Grande Prairie for
Thanksgiving weekend. They are so sweet to think of us.
Haven't seen him in ages. His younger bro is thinking about
heading out to Alberta from Nova Scotia as well. Soon, I'll
have the whole family out here. Also hoping my friend T
comes out, he is thinking about it a tiny bit.

On a sad note, my brother lost a very good friend of his
recently due to a car accident, she was only 28. So young.
I feel really bad for my brother, he is a happy-go-lucky guy
and it breaks my heart to hear sadness in his voice.

Well, my exercise bike is looking at me and sending
guilt waves, bye for now

Maritimes, Alberta

2006-09-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how many Maritimers are
here in Alberta. I meet or speak to at least
one Martimer every day here. Most have
just moved here, just like us.

People ask me where in the Maritimes I
am from, they say I have a Maritime
accent. Funny, I didn't think I had
an accent. Actually, I expected
Albertans to have an accent, a sort
of twangy accent. And I don't see many
cowboys or cowboy hats for that matter
which is disappointing. Probably in Calgary.

R is out fixing the power steering line right now.
Ahh....our first car repair, how special. Can't
complain for a $1300 car though. Now that
we make more bucks we might soon bite the
bullet and get a new car. Maybe lease but
I don't know the ins and outs of leasing. Have
heard horror stories. Have also heard success
stories, so we'll see.

Bought a small gym set so when I don't feel
like going to Curves I can use the gym set.
Sometimes. If I feel like it. That's the secret
to not getting sick of exercising is to only
do it if you feel like it. And don't feel guilty
if you don't.

Another train going by. There is about
one every hour at night here. But we
were lucky to even get a place to rent,
the vacancy rate is so low here people
are living in tents, garages, treehouses.
Just joking about the treehouses but
it could be true. They do live in tents
and garages though. You could make
a fortune building and renting places
here.

Well, I smell the Lasagna is about done.
Chow.

Ikea Dog

2006-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

By now you've probably heard the controversy over the Ikea ad.
Apparantley some folks out there think the dog has a
male appendage. Here is the pic that is making all of the hooplah.
I guess if you streeettch your imagination....but why would you
want to?

I got to wondering...how much of this goes on? There have been
other instances of such debauchery ...

Coke is in on it...

and so is Star Wars with their 1985 C-3Po trading cards

Some require a real stretch of the imagination...

Simba spelling sex by blowing leaves in the in the Lion King

And some are true:

On8 January 1999, Disney recalled the the home video

version of their 1977 animated feature The Rescuers

because it contained an "objectionable background image'.

(www.snopes.com)

Saturday cartoons will never be the same for me again.

Night on a Ranch

2006-09-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

Just arrived home from a small town in Alberta
called Wildwood. R and I went there yesterday
and stayed overnight at a working ranch. We
had a beautiful log cabin smack in the middle
of their meadows. We visited and petted the
cows and talked to the sheep.

The cows
were very friendly, putting their heads through
the wood slats in the fence, trying to lick us.
They mooed at us when we left.
Or maybe they booed.

Later on when it cooled off a bit, we lit a
bonfire and roasted shish kabobs and
ate shrimp and dip. We had a few beers
for good measure. Then a couple more.
Just in case. And then Dessert :-)
Nice warm clear night.

Got to see different stars than at home. A different perspective anyway.

R saw Satellites which excited him of course.

They offered guests a ranch-style breakfast
but we were smoky smelling and grungy
so we just headed for home. I made a beeline
for the shower. Their water was weird smelling
so I didn't want to shower there. It smelled very
strongly of sulphur. That was the only downside
to our stay. But since we were there only one night
it didn't matter much.

Weird sighting of the day: On the way up to the ranch
yesterday, I of course, had to stop to tinkle on the way.
For those who do not know me - I have a filter rather
than a bladder. So, we stop at a Shell Station. Into
the bathroom I go. And on the wall, in large letters,
is a sign from the management:

"If you are a non-paying customer and are using our
washroom facilities, please leave a 25 cent donation
on your way out. This will help to defray costs
associated with septic removal."
Wow. They want you to pay to tinkle. How tacky.
I wonder if that is even legal? What would Shell
head office say to that? I did not leave a penny.

Head On

2006-09-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Head on - apply directly to the forehead
Head on - apply directly to the forehead
Head on - apply directly to the forehead

Does anyone else find this like the most
annoying commerical on earth?

Here in Alberta

2006-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have had a few friends suggest I have a blog, so here it is.

Well, we've been here in Alberta, having relocated from Nova
Scotia, for about 2 months now. We had an excellent start, bought
a car the first day. We lucked out and found an apartment the second day.

R of course had a job coming out here, I applied
for jobs after about a week or so and was absolutely

swamped with requests for job interviews. They have help

wanted signs everywhere and pages and pages of jobs in their classifieds.

They are so desperate for workers, one guy wanted to train me, yes me,

as a forklift operator in a warehouse. $18 per hour at that.

Things are pretty good, almost always sunny and lots

of money to be made. It's amazing how much less

the gov't takes off your paycheque here.

Compared to NS anyway.

Half the Maritimes is out here.

We have met tons of Maritimers.

Lots from Cape Breton.

It is a saying out here that Alberta

is friendly because half the Albertans

are Maritimers. Although Albertans

are fairly friendly it is a different kind of friendly.

Sort of politely friendly. Hard to explain.

I think they have their minds on money.

The weather is awesome, over 25 celsius

almost every day. The nights are bit cooler

right now, about 15 overnight. This weekend is

supposed to be 25-30 all weekend. Not sure what we

will do this weekend, we'd like to get to Jasper one of

these days. My friend N sent me a link to a nice, and

affordable spot.

I am starting to get used to the driving

but it is still a harrowing experience.

I kid you not - they drive 130 plus

on the highways with just inches of space

between cars. When I first arrived I thought

alot of people were towing other cars.

I almost peed myself driving in Edmonton.

Weird things I have noticed:

What the hell is up with the price of Bounce?

Yes, folks, Bounce. That smelly, soft, piece of paper.

It costs a mind numbing $8-9 dollars here. Wow.

And Bread, bread is anywhere from $2.50-$3.50 per loaf.

Beer and Pizza cost more :-( Cheese, milk, eggs, and of course

meat costs less.

And there are liquor stores everywhere,

and I do mean everywhere. Sometimes 3-4 per block.

They are open every day. I have even heard tell of a

24 hour one. Most everything is open here on Sundays,

unlike NS. It is kind of nice being able to put your shopping off

till Sunday if you don't feel like doing it on Saturday.

Plus it spreads the crowd out more over the weekend so it's

not so nuts all in one day. Besides who are we dictating what

days a person should run his or her business. Or what day

they should supposedly celebrate their religion.

They smoke everywhere here. Even at staff

meetings, in an open warehouse mind you, but still.

You'd NEVER get away with that in NS. I think they'd

throw you in jail or something.

Or take away your Saturday shopping rights.

Almost all rental places, if you are lucky enough to find

one, is 'no pets allowed'. It is very anti-fur here in the

rental industry. Which sucks. They take better care of

their rental units here though. The upkeep is a much better

standard than you typically find in NS.

We live in a quiet little spot called Leduc, which is about

20-25 mins from the crazy city of Edmonton. We do visit

Edmonton a fair bit as it is a beautiful and interesting city.

But the gang problem is severe there so we really don't

venture there at night. Anyone from Edmonton reading

this is probably thinking what wimps we are. But when

you come from a small place like NS, Alberta is a whole

new ball game. And gangs are scary.

So, that's about it to date. I will most the odd update now

and then so stay posted!

Of course you can always visit me at www.oddchick.com