Flying home today and I still keep thinking about the intercom call for a doctor that happened on our flight down. It seems like such a strange policy. And for sure it is some type of policy because airlines have procedures for everything. I decided I wanted to look at the numbers:
Cooling My Feminist Jets
So, I had been very happy/surprised that it was a female doctor answering the call. Turns out, not that rare. There is probably still a wage gap, and possibly still a 'senior position' gap, but the gender gap for Canadian doctors has shrunk considerably. 41% are female; 59% are male. Two thirds (64%) of family physicians under age 35 are female.
What About Specialists
Almost half of the over 83,000 Canadian doctors are specialists of other disciples, instead of Family Medicine. Students in medical school in Canada will experience many fields of medicine and decide on their specialty during 3rd or 4th year. After that choice, residency training can be anywhere from 2 years (Family Medicine) to 6 years (Neurosurgery). Most specialties are a 5 year program. So they have the medical base, but a specialist can really be pretty specialized, and there are 37 specialties available in Canada. Would a urologist be that much help to someone who fainted in a plane?
Seems Like A Long Shot
Based on the total population of Canada there is only about 1 doctor for every 500 people. The plane we were in seats 100. That is a 0.2% chance there would be a doctor on board. When looking at people who fly, mainly those who can afford to fly, than doctors would be more likely to be on board a plane while the general population less so - this increases the chance. Often planes would be larger than the jet we were one, increasing the passengers to maybe 200. Huge planes can have more than 600 seats (in a two-tiered class configuration. Actually 800 in single-class, but I have never seen that.) I still don't like the odds, or many I don't like the fact that they are relying on odds.
Improve Your Odds
If they had asked "Is there a doctor or nurse on board" that would really improve the chances of a generally trained health care professional. There are lots of different types of nurses, including those in advance nursing practice, like nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. There are 4 times as many nurses as doctors in Canada.
Source information:
Look at me citing things like a good girl who went to university and grad school!
- Canadian Institute For Health Information
- The Canadian Medical Association
- University of British Columbia Medical School
- AirBus Corporate Site, Aviation Blogs
Further Reading:
I am like my own Wikipedia article here. If you found this as fascinating as me, the likelihood of that might be small, then these are some interesting international articles on the same topic:
- July 2017 - ABC News (Australia) - Is there a doctor on board? What happens during a mid-air medical emergency
- March 2017 - The Telegraph (UK) - What really happens during a medical emergency at 35,000 feet
- January 2017 - Singapore Medical Journal - What to do during inflight medical emergencies? Practice pointers from a medical ethicist and an aviation medicine specialist
- April 2013 - Quartz (USA) - What it’s like to be the “doctor on board”, and why airlines shouldn’t be relying on them
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Saturday, 28 April 2018
Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Not Really About The Weather
Following in the 'lion, lamb' theme that has shown up in my past few posts, I stumbled upon this painting:
I like allegorical paintings, though I don't think that is the right word for it. I like when the paintings are realism but the items are symbolic, telling a story. This image was inspired by The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, an epic allegorical poem about Queen Elizabeth I. In the poem, she trains a lion so well that it doesn't attack the lamb. The lion is thought to represent Queen Elizabeth's power, her elegance and her aristocratic figure.
"Una and the Lion"
Painting by Briton Riviere (1840/1920 - 1880)
I like allegorical paintings, though I don't think that is the right word for it. I like when the paintings are realism but the items are symbolic, telling a story. This image was inspired by The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, an epic allegorical poem about Queen Elizabeth I. In the poem, she trains a lion so well that it doesn't attack the lamb. The lion is thought to represent Queen Elizabeth's power, her elegance and her aristocratic figure.
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Happy Birthday Steph!
It is Steph's birthday today!
I hope she is having a good one.
Prime seats in front, up top, on a double decker bus.
London, England - January 2008
Photo by ME
It has been nine years since we took this photo, and we have been friends since September 2003, yet she still makes me this happy! Since moving to Toronto in 2010 we don't see each other as often, but we both make the effort and I head up to Ottawa pretty often. We make it work, she is worth it. Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, 25 October 2016
The Queen Speaks
------- Funny! From an email, sent by Mom
A Message from the Queen!
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA, and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy). Our new Prime Minister, Theresa May, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
A Message from the Queen!
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA, and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy). Our new Prime Minister, Theresa May, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
Monday, 20 June 2016
Oh Man, So Soon!!
I used to have to use a calendar or visit a website to figure out the time between dates, like I did for my trip to London.But now, I have a countdown app on my phone, to be accurate it is a Days Left Widget. If something important or exciting is coming up then I start to track it on the main screen page of my phone. After the date passes the widget starts counting up, and telling you how many 'days since' it has been.
After our offer was accepted, I had a countdown going for the date we closed on Casa Verde. That was back in February but I am keeping the count going and think of it as the number of days that Jason and I have been homeowners. (According to my phone, that has been 111 days.)
So I also have one going for the wedding and last week it dipped down into the double digits. It was much more reassuring when it said 100 or more days until the event. Now it is only 96 days away and I feel like there is still so much to do!
Tuesday, 29 March 2016
March Birthday Babes
Happy Birthday today to Steph!!
Steph in our bunk!
London trip, January 2008
Photo by ME
Not that many people born in March, and I am sure that I am missing some, but according to my planner, there are the following:
- Granny?
- Aunty Laura, March 14
- Maya, March 18
- Anna, March 27
- Steph, March 29
I am heading to Ottawa this coming weekend to quickly celebrate with the later two on that list!
Friday, 8 January 2016
Travelling With Our Boys
I haven't been the only one away over the holidays. My previous travel partners:
- Steph (England 2008)
- Teri (North American Road Trips)
who are both married to amazing guys, went on holidays recently with them. So, while Jason and I are in Peru, this is where they traveled:
- Steph and Dave went to Las Vegas
- Teri and Greg went to France and Belgium
I am excited to see their pictures and hear about their trips!
- Steph (England 2008)
- Teri (North American Road Trips)
who are both married to amazing guys, went on holidays recently with them. So, while Jason and I are in Peru, this is where they traveled:
- Steph and Dave went to Las Vegas
- Teri and Greg went to France and Belgium
I am excited to see their pictures and hear about their trips!
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Finally Saw The Bean
Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.
For a long time I didn't know where Stonehenge was. This was because I visited England between Grades 5 and 6 for over month with my family, and we never saw it. We saw so many sites in England the idea that my parents didn't take us to this Wonder of the World was unfathomable to me, so I spent all of high school and most of university thinking that was somewhere else. When Steph finished at Carlton, we celebrated by going on a trip to London and she wanted to see Stonehenge, we actually fraught a bit about it being in the country (and Steph is obsessed with Stonehenge so I have no idea why I argued.) We ended up seeing it and now I obviously know what country it is in.
I had been having a similar experience with The Bean. It can't be in Chicago, cause if it was, why hadn't my dad and I visited it when we came in 1994?
As I mentioned before, the only other time that I had visited Chicago was when I came with my parents over 20 years ago. My mom had a conference to attend, which meant that my dad and I hung out together during the day. We stayed at the Blackstone Hotel (some of The Untouchables was filmed there), which is next to the Hilton where my mom's conference was. These hotels are on South Michigan Avenue, just across from the big park area on Chicago's waterfront, we walked along the lake when it wasn't too cold or windy.
The only major attraction we visited here was the big aquarium, besides that we just went to all the free art galleries. Dad loved this because they were free and he has a certain cursory interest in art. Also, because I was young, we probably were moving through them in at a good pace. So, with this emphasis on art, visits to the waterfront parkland, and desire to see things that didn't cost anything, how come I never saw The Bean (which I hear K is pretty obsessed with and likes to visit it multiple times when she visits the city.)?
Turns out it wasn't even there! The planning for Millennium Park didn't start until 1997, and Cloud Gate (The Bean) wasn't added until 2006.
For a long time I didn't know where Stonehenge was. This was because I visited England between Grades 5 and 6 for over month with my family, and we never saw it. We saw so many sites in England the idea that my parents didn't take us to this Wonder of the World was unfathomable to me, so I spent all of high school and most of university thinking that was somewhere else. When Steph finished at Carlton, we celebrated by going on a trip to London and she wanted to see Stonehenge, we actually fraught a bit about it being in the country (and Steph is obsessed with Stonehenge so I have no idea why I argued.) We ended up seeing it and now I obviously know what country it is in.
I had been having a similar experience with The Bean. It can't be in Chicago, cause if it was, why hadn't my dad and I visited it when we came in 1994?
As I mentioned before, the only other time that I had visited Chicago was when I came with my parents over 20 years ago. My mom had a conference to attend, which meant that my dad and I hung out together during the day. We stayed at the Blackstone Hotel (some of The Untouchables was filmed there), which is next to the Hilton where my mom's conference was. These hotels are on South Michigan Avenue, just across from the big park area on Chicago's waterfront, we walked along the lake when it wasn't too cold or windy.
The only major attraction we visited here was the big aquarium, besides that we just went to all the free art galleries. Dad loved this because they were free and he has a certain cursory interest in art. Also, because I was young, we probably were moving through them in at a good pace. So, with this emphasis on art, visits to the waterfront parkland, and desire to see things that didn't cost anything, how come I never saw The Bean (which I hear K is pretty obsessed with and likes to visit it multiple times when she visits the city.)?
Turns out it wasn't even there! The planning for Millennium Park didn't start until 1997, and Cloud Gate (The Bean) wasn't added until 2006.
Sunday, 26 July 2015
Rain Drops
Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.
The song Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head reminds me of both my dad and a trip to England when I was 10. We visited with my mom's oldest friend, and her family. Dad bonded with them over music and learned about the 'pirate radio' concept. At the end of our visit, my dad was given a mix tape as a gift and it included the Rain Drops song. It was then played lovingly and often, both for the rest of that trip and many subsequent times back in Canada.
The song Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head reminds me of both my dad and a trip to England when I was 10. We visited with my mom's oldest friend, and her family. Dad bonded with them over music and learned about the 'pirate radio' concept. At the end of our visit, my dad was given a mix tape as a gift and it included the Rain Drops song. It was then played lovingly and often, both for the rest of that trip and many subsequent times back in Canada.
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Congratulations Heather
Heather has been awarded a Graduate Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Studies from the University of Victoria.
The program provides advanced learning for emerging and mid-career individuals involved with a range of cultural heritage fields. Heather already has an MA in Greek and Roman Archaeology from the University of Newcastle in England. She has been working in her field (museums) for as long as I have known her. It feels like just yesterday she was talking about starting the online program from U of Vic. She did it on a part-time basis, one course per term, so she could still work full-time. It can't have been easy, I am so proud of her.
The program provides advanced learning for emerging and mid-career individuals involved with a range of cultural heritage fields. Heather already has an MA in Greek and Roman Archaeology from the University of Newcastle in England. She has been working in her field (museums) for as long as I have known her. It feels like just yesterday she was talking about starting the online program from U of Vic. She did it on a part-time basis, one course per term, so she could still work full-time. It can't have been easy, I am so proud of her.
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
2 Deposits Down, 1 To Go
I know I just had a wedding/marriage related post, but I am all excited today from sending off the signed contract for Jason and my wedding reception venue - Watermark Pub.
I want to pause to explain the slightly unconventional choice of location for what is normally a very formal dinner. For the longest time I told people that I would get married in 2021, do the paperwork in Las Vegas and have a big party at The Cottage. Then two most important men in my life spoiled these carefully thought out plans. Firstly, Jason hates Vegas and didn't want to do a 'destination wedding' there. Secondly, my dad died. A big wedding reception at the beach, with lots of planning and party rentals, would be most enjoyed by him and myself. With my dad gone, I no longer thought of The Cottage as a logical place to get married - it would be a lot of work and a lot of pain missing him. I needed a new dream.
I liked lots of wedding ideas, but nothing fully hit home or gave me a clear vision of what I would want to do with Jason - until I read How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. The following excerpt hit home:
Six years and a £19.99 engagement ring later, and it’s our wedding day. It was – initially – going to be in a register office in London, followed by a reception in a pub. In boring, empty mid-October. Everyone could have got the bus home. It would have cost less than 200 quid. We could have knocked it all off in five hours flat. Oh, I wish we’d had that wedding. You can read the whole article HERE.
As I mentioned in post title, the contract and subsequent deposit that was sent to the pub today is actually the second bit of confirmed planning. We have also booked our legal ceremony or what I have been calling 'the paperwork,' at City Hall and paid a deposit there as well. The only place left to decide on, book, and pay the deposit for is somewhere on Toronto Islands where we will spend the afternoon and have our actual ceremony.
I want to pause to explain the slightly unconventional choice of location for what is normally a very formal dinner. For the longest time I told people that I would get married in 2021, do the paperwork in Las Vegas and have a big party at The Cottage. Then two most important men in my life spoiled these carefully thought out plans. Firstly, Jason hates Vegas and didn't want to do a 'destination wedding' there. Secondly, my dad died. A big wedding reception at the beach, with lots of planning and party rentals, would be most enjoyed by him and myself. With my dad gone, I no longer thought of The Cottage as a logical place to get married - it would be a lot of work and a lot of pain missing him. I needed a new dream.
I liked lots of wedding ideas, but nothing fully hit home or gave me a clear vision of what I would want to do with Jason - until I read How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. The following excerpt hit home:
Six years and a £19.99 engagement ring later, and it’s our wedding day. It was – initially – going to be in a register office in London, followed by a reception in a pub. In boring, empty mid-October. Everyone could have got the bus home. It would have cost less than 200 quid. We could have knocked it all off in five hours flat. Oh, I wish we’d had that wedding. You can read the whole article HERE.
As I mentioned in post title, the contract and subsequent deposit that was sent to the pub today is actually the second bit of confirmed planning. We have also booked our legal ceremony or what I have been calling 'the paperwork,' at City Hall and paid a deposit there as well. The only place left to decide on, book, and pay the deposit for is somewhere on Toronto Islands where we will spend the afternoon and have our actual ceremony.
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Where I Get It From - Face Edition
Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.
It was hard to figure out which parts of my face I inherited from each parent and I think I might be off on some of them. I used this picture of Mom and this one of Dad, along with a combination of my memory and what people have told me in the past about looking like them.
Skin Colour: My Mom
(Dad's skin was pink/peach, but my mom and I have the green/yellow undertone that is very Mediterranean. It is 'olive skin tone' if you are looking for something nicer and I don't know how we got it seeing that we are quite British.)
Skin Texture: My Dad
(I don't have to care for it much and I tend to be able to avoid major breakouts. Also just my nose gets freckles, which was like him.)
Eyebrows: Maybe My Dad
(Neither of my parent's eyebrows are as thick, as big, as course, or as dark as mine.)
Eyelashes: My Dad
(My brother and I both got his long lashes.)
Eye Shape: I Think My Dad
(I think this is more difficult to tell, it might not really be from either. In fact I always thought the shape was closer to my Aunty Nicky's.)
Eye Colour: My Dad
(Mum has blue eyes, which are awesome. I have boring brown ones like Dad.)
Nose: My Dad
(The 'Joynes Nose' on my mom's side has a reputation for being quite large. So part of me is glad to have missed that. However, both Mike and I have Dad's nose, which has a very thin bridge at the top.)
Lips: Both Parents
(My mom's smile is nice and wide like mine, but my lips are more full, which is similar to my dad.)
Face Shape: My Mom
(Both my mom and I have oval faces. We also have a well defined chin, though you can only notice it on me when I am thinner.)
It was hard to figure out which parts of my face I inherited from each parent and I think I might be off on some of them. I used this picture of Mom and this one of Dad, along with a combination of my memory and what people have told me in the past about looking like them.
Skin Colour: My Mom
(Dad's skin was pink/peach, but my mom and I have the green/yellow undertone that is very Mediterranean. It is 'olive skin tone' if you are looking for something nicer and I don't know how we got it seeing that we are quite British.)
Skin Texture: My Dad
(I don't have to care for it much and I tend to be able to avoid major breakouts. Also just my nose gets freckles, which was like him.)
Eyebrows: Maybe My Dad
(Neither of my parent's eyebrows are as thick, as big, as course, or as dark as mine.)
Eyelashes: My Dad
(My brother and I both got his long lashes.)
Eye Shape: I Think My Dad
(I think this is more difficult to tell, it might not really be from either. In fact I always thought the shape was closer to my Aunty Nicky's.)
Eye Colour: My Dad
(Mum has blue eyes, which are awesome. I have boring brown ones like Dad.)
Nose: My Dad
(The 'Joynes Nose' on my mom's side has a reputation for being quite large. So part of me is glad to have missed that. However, both Mike and I have Dad's nose, which has a very thin bridge at the top.)
Lips: Both Parents
(My mom's smile is nice and wide like mine, but my lips are more full, which is similar to my dad.)
Face Shape: My Mom
(Both my mom and I have oval faces. We also have a well defined chin, though you can only notice it on me when I am thinner.)
Thursday, 15 January 2015
Avery Inspires The House
Following the same theme as yesterday's post, the above is adapted from the great We Shall Fight on the Beaches speech by Winston Churchill given on June 4, 1940 to the House of Commons at the British Parliament.
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Chicken Or The Churchill
Everyone always says that new babies look like Winston Churchill. I wish they talked like him, so funny!
Lady Astor: Winston, if I were your wife I'd put poison in your coffee
Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband I'd drink it!
Baby looking like Churchill: The photograph above was taken by my mom on the night she met her grandson. Avery is about 4 days old in this picture and is in my mom's lap. Recently he has started to open his eyes more, but in general there has been a lot of sleeping in these early days. Not that Mike and Aimee get to do a lot of sleeping because he still needs to be fed and changed all the time. But basically between those activities he isn't usually awake, he just passes back out - looking like Winston Churchill.
The thing is, babies don't look any different now than they did hundreds of years ago. So I don't think that it is actually accurate to say that babies look like a British Prime Minister from the mid-twentieth century; it is more accurate to say that Winston Churchill looked like a baby. I wonder if people said/thought that at the time.
More Great Churchill Quotes
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
I may be drunk Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
Lady Astor: Winston, if I were your wife I'd put poison in your coffee
Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband I'd drink it!
Baby looking like Churchill: The photograph above was taken by my mom on the night she met her grandson. Avery is about 4 days old in this picture and is in my mom's lap. Recently he has started to open his eyes more, but in general there has been a lot of sleeping in these early days. Not that Mike and Aimee get to do a lot of sleeping because he still needs to be fed and changed all the time. But basically between those activities he isn't usually awake, he just passes back out - looking like Winston Churchill.
The thing is, babies don't look any different now than they did hundreds of years ago. So I don't think that it is actually accurate to say that babies look like a British Prime Minister from the mid-twentieth century; it is more accurate to say that Winston Churchill looked like a baby. I wonder if people said/thought that at the time.
More Great Churchill Quotes
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
I may be drunk Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Jason's NYC Museum - II
As I mentioned before, Jason and I didn't get a chance to visit the space and earth part of the American Museum of Natural History. We went back to see it this morning. The museum is quite expensive, in contrast to Washington and London, where they are all free. However, to quote an internal website, "NYC Area Museums Offer Complimentary Admission to IBM Employees - A number of local area museums, currently receiving IBM philanthropic support, offer complimentary general admission to employees, In some cases, immediate family members and guests are also included." For the American Museum of Natural History, Jason could bring up to 5 guests. We looked for mention of IBM's donations inside the museum and it appears they are only at the 'Friend' level, but they treat their friends well! The best part, especially yesterday, was that we got to skip the massive line and go to the Membership Desk instead.
Space Selfie!
Jason and I - Rose Center for Earth and Space
NYC Doesn't Remind Me Of GRS
Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.
I know that my parents have visited New York City, I believe with R and E before kids. With the new trailer, my parents had planned to do some big trips around the USA - so they may have been thinking about visiting NYC again. However, personally, this does not feel like a place my dad would visit. It has none of the elements that I think of when I consider the places Dad liked to travel.
It is not relaxing
Both my parents recognized the difference between travel and vacation. They saw the value in both. New York City is not exactly a calm and relaxing place. I am sure that people are able to turn a trip here into something very serene, but that would involve a more pampered experience and the cost would be astronomical.
It is not all inclusive
When looking to relax, my parents usually went down to a resort in Cuba. With the cost paid upfront Dad would have been able to relax even further since the consideration of everything's price would be removed.
The culture is not that foreign
Maybe it was about value for your travel dollar, the desire to experience something new, or a love of Europe; but if Dad was going to do a big vacation he wasn't going to pop down to a place that is a short plane ride away. My parents traveled to so many places in Europe, as far east as Turkey. They even took us as young children for a month-long trip to England. NYC is interesting and different from Toronto, but not hugely so. I don't know why Dad liked to experience cultures with more significant differences, especially as I think they often made him nervous.
There is no driving
If my parents were going to 'stay local' and discover new parts of North America, there needed to be some driving. Even when they went to stay for a long chunk of time in Texas, they drove down. My dad loved road trips. With NYC, you might drive here but then you park for the duration of your stay. This is not a city to drive in.
In general, this isn't really a city for my dad, which explains why I can't remember him ever visiting New York during my lifetime. I must have a slightly different view of travel than above - since this is my third time here.
I know that my parents have visited New York City, I believe with R and E before kids. With the new trailer, my parents had planned to do some big trips around the USA - so they may have been thinking about visiting NYC again. However, personally, this does not feel like a place my dad would visit. It has none of the elements that I think of when I consider the places Dad liked to travel.
It is not relaxing
Both my parents recognized the difference between travel and vacation. They saw the value in both. New York City is not exactly a calm and relaxing place. I am sure that people are able to turn a trip here into something very serene, but that would involve a more pampered experience and the cost would be astronomical.
It is not all inclusive
When looking to relax, my parents usually went down to a resort in Cuba. With the cost paid upfront Dad would have been able to relax even further since the consideration of everything's price would be removed.
The culture is not that foreign
Maybe it was about value for your travel dollar, the desire to experience something new, or a love of Europe; but if Dad was going to do a big vacation he wasn't going to pop down to a place that is a short plane ride away. My parents traveled to so many places in Europe, as far east as Turkey. They even took us as young children for a month-long trip to England. NYC is interesting and different from Toronto, but not hugely so. I don't know why Dad liked to experience cultures with more significant differences, especially as I think they often made him nervous.
There is no driving
If my parents were going to 'stay local' and discover new parts of North America, there needed to be some driving. Even when they went to stay for a long chunk of time in Texas, they drove down. My dad loved road trips. With NYC, you might drive here but then you park for the duration of your stay. This is not a city to drive in.
In general, this isn't really a city for my dad, which explains why I can't remember him ever visiting New York during my lifetime. I must have a slightly different view of travel than above - since this is my third time here.
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Steph's Back From The UK
In 2008, Steph and I went to London (with a side trip for a couple of days to Salisbury to see Stonehenge.) It was mid-January, which is not the ideal time to tour that area of Europe except that the prices are good. We went for 10 days and were celebrating Steph finishing university.
You can read the trip highlights or look at a few pictures I took during the trip - Photo Post 1 - Photo Post 2. Compared to other trips I have taken, I didn't post that much on Always Standing about it. However, I remember it being an amazing trip. Steph and I travel well together (and stay under budget!)
A couple of years later, I ended up back in London for a few hours early one morning in February of 2010. I missed a flight out of Heathrow on my way home from Spain. Even though the airport is fairly far away from downtown, I used the opportunity to head into London for a super quick bus ride around the main parts of the city.
Most recently, Steph went with Dave to Ireland and the UK and has just returned. Keep checking her blog (LINK is also always on the left column of Always Standing) to see photos and read stories from her trip.
You can read the trip highlights or look at a few pictures I took during the trip - Photo Post 1 - Photo Post 2. Compared to other trips I have taken, I didn't post that much on Always Standing about it. However, I remember it being an amazing trip. Steph and I travel well together (and stay under budget!)
A couple of years later, I ended up back in London for a few hours early one morning in February of 2010. I missed a flight out of Heathrow on my way home from Spain. Even though the airport is fairly far away from downtown, I used the opportunity to head into London for a super quick bus ride around the main parts of the city.
Most recently, Steph went with Dave to Ireland and the UK and has just returned. Keep checking her blog (LINK is also always on the left column of Always Standing) to see photos and read stories from her trip.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
The Louvre
Yesterday we went to The Louvre:
We probably spent 3 to 4 hours inside and it was a great visit! We got to see all the stuff we were interested in seeing, for me that was the Nymph with a Scorpion and The Coronation of Emperor Napoleon, which we had seen a copy of at Versailles and I wanted to see the original. Jason was quite happy to come across an Easter Island Head on display, until I mentioned that I had seen one as well at a museum in England, to which he replied, "Uhhh, Europeans" and it is true - too many things have been taken away from their rightful place by powerful empires of the past and present. Jason was excited to see the Colossal statue of Ramesses II and the Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon. And of course we made the obligatory stop among the crowd to view the famous masterpiece:
Jason & The Mona Lisa
The Louvre, Paris, France
Photo by Me
Saturday, 5 April 2014
Waking Up Early
The guidebook says that we should leave Paris at 8:00am to get to Versailles in time for it to open. Christine is returning to England/Wales today and wanted to see the palace before catching the train; so, we need to get as much time there as possible. It also gets very busy. Last week Nicola sent me the following video:
My cats have never done this to wake me up - which I am pretty happy about actually. While I love how cute it is, I love sleep more. However, we didn't get any cute wake up this morning. And, for some reason the Boulangerie isn't open until 10:00am on Saturdays so there was no morning walk to go get fresh croissants. (Mom went and picked some last night in preperation, so we will still have them for breakfast but they were made yesterday.)
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Some Apple Sauce
Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.
My dad has 'latched on' to a couple of food-related things over the years. There are a couple of conditions that needed to be met, and then he would be a machine. The main things I can remember are: Cherries; Apple Sauce; and Shortbread. I have a theory that he was looking for certain things and found them in these foods; he wanted to be able to mass produce, something that was extremely cheap, well-liked/appreciated, and could freeze or store well. Then he would make a shit tonne. I think the making of it was important too, it needed to be easy busy-work style that didn't take too much concentration, so that he could talk or watch TV at the same time.
Cherries: Growing up we had a huge cherry tree in front of the house in Paris. For a few years my dad sprayed it so bugs wouldn't get it, and my mom would hang out on the pouch and yell at the birds and squirrels that tried to eat them. (But only those on the lower branches, they could have the upper parts.) They were sweet cherries, not the baking kind and it was so fun to pick them all as a family. Then my dad would spend days cutting them in half and pitting them to freeze for the winter. I guess this only happened a couple of summers but when it did I can remember him sitting on the pool deck with a big bucket working at it, or with a bowl of them in front of the television at night.
Apple Sauce: My mom used to make apple sauce, which was great, and homemade lemonade, which was terrible (never enough sugar, give me the frozen pink stuff any day.) When Dad discovered you could use the worst apples and that you could get them in huge quantities - he took over. He would spend so much time cutting up apples in the fall, piles and piles and piles of them. Then he would cook them in big pots, with a bit of cinnamon (and that is it, so healthy, and it stayed a bit chunky not like the smooth store stuff.) These would then be put in recycled plastic tubs in the freezer.
I am sure that Mom will make it again at some point, or I will. Since it such an affordable way to make a lot of something so delicious. However, all that peeling and cutting will feel like tedious work, I don't need to have something like that to occupy my time. While both Dad and I have spent lifetimes dealing with ADD, he had a much harder time relaxing than I do. I am pretty comfortable being lazy and doing nothing. He, on the other hand, needed to keep busy.
Shortbread: Back in the day when my parents did 'cookie exchanges' around Christmas time, they would always bring British Shortbread (it is the crumbly type, not the Scottish melt-in-your-mouth type.) Dad took over make it each year recently when he learnt that there are less than 5 ingredients, none of which are expensive. I think it is basically butter, sugar, and flour. He burnt it more often than Mom did, at least at the start, and it required more concentration but kept him less busy. So it wasn't a perfect fit. Apple Sauce was really his forte.
A couple of days ago I had some of the Apple Sauce and it was amazing. I have a huge tub of it in the back of my fridge which I had just been given in early November. Then he died on the 27th. I came back to Toronto soon after, Teri and Jason helped me pack some things for a larger stay at The Cottage. I was clearing out the fridge with Teri and I saw the tub and just burst into tears - "He is never going to make apple sauce for us again." At the time I felt so stupid/crazy for crying over something like that, but 4 months and many many many tears later I realize that it can truly be anything that sets me off, and his apple sauce is a relatively normal thing to get upset by.
The big tub is still in the back of my fridge (however, the one I ate this week was from a small tub and was dropped off by Mom before she left for France.) I am scared to look into my old big tub, and find it all molded and in need of going in the compost. It is crazy, but I am not ready to part with that apple sauce. And, yes, thinking about it now makes me cry - crying about Apple Sauce. (Which is a bit crazy of me.)
My dad has 'latched on' to a couple of food-related things over the years. There are a couple of conditions that needed to be met, and then he would be a machine. The main things I can remember are: Cherries; Apple Sauce; and Shortbread. I have a theory that he was looking for certain things and found them in these foods; he wanted to be able to mass produce, something that was extremely cheap, well-liked/appreciated, and could freeze or store well. Then he would make a shit tonne. I think the making of it was important too, it needed to be easy busy-work style that didn't take too much concentration, so that he could talk or watch TV at the same time.
Cherries: Growing up we had a huge cherry tree in front of the house in Paris. For a few years my dad sprayed it so bugs wouldn't get it, and my mom would hang out on the pouch and yell at the birds and squirrels that tried to eat them. (But only those on the lower branches, they could have the upper parts.) They were sweet cherries, not the baking kind and it was so fun to pick them all as a family. Then my dad would spend days cutting them in half and pitting them to freeze for the winter. I guess this only happened a couple of summers but when it did I can remember him sitting on the pool deck with a big bucket working at it, or with a bowl of them in front of the television at night.
Apple Sauce: My mom used to make apple sauce, which was great, and homemade lemonade, which was terrible (never enough sugar, give me the frozen pink stuff any day.) When Dad discovered you could use the worst apples and that you could get them in huge quantities - he took over. He would spend so much time cutting up apples in the fall, piles and piles and piles of them. Then he would cook them in big pots, with a bit of cinnamon (and that is it, so healthy, and it stayed a bit chunky not like the smooth store stuff.) These would then be put in recycled plastic tubs in the freezer.
I am sure that Mom will make it again at some point, or I will. Since it such an affordable way to make a lot of something so delicious. However, all that peeling and cutting will feel like tedious work, I don't need to have something like that to occupy my time. While both Dad and I have spent lifetimes dealing with ADD, he had a much harder time relaxing than I do. I am pretty comfortable being lazy and doing nothing. He, on the other hand, needed to keep busy.
Shortbread: Back in the day when my parents did 'cookie exchanges' around Christmas time, they would always bring British Shortbread (it is the crumbly type, not the Scottish melt-in-your-mouth type.) Dad took over make it each year recently when he learnt that there are less than 5 ingredients, none of which are expensive. I think it is basically butter, sugar, and flour. He burnt it more often than Mom did, at least at the start, and it required more concentration but kept him less busy. So it wasn't a perfect fit. Apple Sauce was really his forte.
A couple of days ago I had some of the Apple Sauce and it was amazing. I have a huge tub of it in the back of my fridge which I had just been given in early November. Then he died on the 27th. I came back to Toronto soon after, Teri and Jason helped me pack some things for a larger stay at The Cottage. I was clearing out the fridge with Teri and I saw the tub and just burst into tears - "He is never going to make apple sauce for us again." At the time I felt so stupid/crazy for crying over something like that, but 4 months and many many many tears later I realize that it can truly be anything that sets me off, and his apple sauce is a relatively normal thing to get upset by.
The big tub is still in the back of my fridge (however, the one I ate this week was from a small tub and was dropped off by Mom before she left for France.) I am scared to look into my old big tub, and find it all molded and in need of going in the compost. It is crazy, but I am not ready to part with that apple sauce. And, yes, thinking about it now makes me cry - crying about Apple Sauce. (Which is a bit crazy of me.)
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