Snow Like My Childhood

Sunday night brought a blizzard to Toronto and with it 36cm of snow by Monday afternoon. Jason spent the day shovelling, heading out multiple times to work through it all. The photo on the right is taken through our back door, the snow piling up in the backyard and back porch.

Heading out for a walk today, the neighbourhood felt like what winters were when I was growing up in Paris. I don't know what it is about nostalgia, but the memories I have from childhood include mammoth snowbanks and huge piles after shovelling. Also I remember there being so much snow that it was shovelled with this strange big metal scoop thing that my dad would push and then tip (I saw someone down the street using a similar thing today, so they are still around.)

Couch Reno

It might have been Two, however I think it was more likely Binx, but at some point one of the corners of the couch got torn up. This couch has been around forever, I think it was at Rrunuv Bayit for most of the time and has been at Casa Verde since we moved in. My parents got it for our family room in Paris when I was a teenager, maybe even a pre-teen. The issue with the torn up corner is that it is right as you enter the room! It is the main corner, very visible. 

I figured you could get patches but I wanted stick on ones, not iron on ones, and they needed to be large enough, strong enough to work with a couch. I eventually came across some faux leather ones that you heat up with a hair dryer before sticking on. There were tons of colours so I was able to get a beige that coordinated with the blue and cream couch stripes. I cut a custom shape that so it would tuck under the first fold of the arm and then wrap around the corner with the the other three corners rounded (recommended in the instructions, also looks nicer.)

So that it didn't look as much like a patch and more like a purposeful part of the furniture I made sure to get and make enough to do both corners on the couch and over on the chair-and-a-half so that everything matched. After I finished I asked Jason if he noticed anything new in the living room, and he had about 6 wrong guesses before I just gave up and pointed at the patches. He thinks this shows how well they blend in and is not continued proof of how unobservant he is.

Looks like our living room furniture has little leather elbow pads, like on tweed academic blazers/sweaters. I am very happy with the refresh and hope that it will continue to extend the life of this couch because I don't want to replace it anytime soon.

This Or That

My Choices!

Steph, tagged me in her Instagram Story a couple of days ago with this list, she had done hers and then named a few followers to do the same. I guess it is a meme, or a challenge, or a chain, or something. I replied that I would do it for my blog. This was partly because it is Two who has Instagram - she doesn't use the story feature and doesn't like to share her account. Also I am constantly needing content for Always Standing so happy to have things like this to do.

The thing with Insta Stories is that they disappear in 24 hours so when I was ready to go and do it - the original one was gone. I looked it up online and couldn't quite find the exact one that Steph had done. (I know, because her's had White Wine / Red Wine listed and she had crossed both out, which I would have done too.) However, I feel like this is the same style and will do. I used Paint and the computer, which is also different, but it gets the point across. Now I challenge all who are reading to let me know in the comments where you stand on This or That? 

Also, if you have Instagram, Steph is a great person to follow @sbeachphoto because she posts regularly, the images are always beautiful, and sometimes you get a glimpse of her adorable dog Kaylee.

Happy Weed Day

The day has come - Cannabis is legal in Canada. This has been a long time coming and I totally agree with all the arguments for legalization. At the moment there are still quantity restrictions and edible products won't be allowed for another couple of years, but we are totally moving in the right direction with this.

My one concern comes with driving under the influence. Impaired driving has always terrified me, growing up in a small town it was a huge issue that took many lives. While the breathalyzer is far from perfect it has provided a quick and convenient tool to assess alcohol impairment. It is harder to determine what is going on when someone is driving high. At the moment there isn't a federally approved fluid screening device that can be used roadside for cannabis.

On top of the testing challenges, right now, there's no set limit on the amount of cannabis that you can have legally in your blood or urine when driving. Driving high has always been illegal, and covered under Impaired Driving, but it doesn't get charged as much, even though drugs now show up more often than alcohol in blood tests of drivers killed in crashes. So scary.

I am excited to see the start of legalized cannabis but please - don't drive high!

The Cost Of Stamps

This is such a grouchy senior citizen post, but I can't believe the price of stamps now! If you just buy one stamp it is a dollar, when you get them in rolls or booklets it is $0.85. It is nice that they have the little P that means 'current domestic postage rate' so if it goes up you can still use it to mail a normal letter within Canada. But still, when did it get so expensive? How is this not a commodity market item?

I actually remember when it was $0.45 to mail a letter. I found a website that maps out all the postage increases from 1943 to now. It turns out the price I am remembering is from 1995, and for my entire elementary and high school life it was under $0.50. That milestone increase happened in 2005 so I was in university at the time and I guess I didn't notice. I am shocked at the cost now, it is just such a big jump.

It is the same story with gas prices too, I started driving when it was in the mid-sixties. However, I can remember it being in the forties when I was younger. Now it is regularly well over a dollar. (I am such a grouchy old person.)

Shock And Sadness

Teri called me on Sunday evening with the terrible news that her father had passed away. It was sudden and unexpected - later determined to be the result of a brain aneurysm. I first met my best friend's dad, Gord Osmond about 25 years ago, and he is probably the kindest person I have ever known. His goodness moved beyond his polite and thoughtful demeanor and into action.

I always found it impressive that he taught Grade 8 for his entire career as a teacher - the students are at a very difficult age. But I can imagine that he would have been the perfect person to provide knowledge and guidance. Gord was a great balance of fun, intelligence, organization, and caring.

Always the athlete, Teri would tell me stories of her dad playing sports in high school, he continued to be active his entire life - playing hockey, baseball, curling, tennis, and more. He was involved with the local retired teachers organization. The activities and groups he was a part of often received the benefit of his participation at the executive level, helping to run and coordinate. Gord was generous with his time and active in the community. He was passionate about politics with a focus on education, healthcare, and equality.

Teri's house has always been a joy to visit - Bonnie and Gord have made their home in Paris and their cottage up north places of love and warmth, where I always felt welcome. Gord was a great father, it isn't just that Teri and Kevan grew up to be amazing people, which they did, but they were always awesome from the moment I met them. I witnessed from the age of 7 how involved and engaged Gord was with his family, his friends, his school, students, and hobbies. He touched so many lives and we are all much better for it. He will be dearly missed.

A Painful Weekend

My Weekend
Both of my Saturday and Sunday evenings this past weekend were spent moaning in bed, sadly, not in a good way. I couldn't really figure it out, but my stomach really hurt! I had assumed it was related to what I ate, especially the first night because I had followed an early fish and chips dinner with a bag of potato chips. I then went into a few hours of abdominal pain, similar to what I have felt with food poisoning, menstrual cramps, gas pain, or indigestion in the past. So I figured it was something along those lines and spent time lying on my stomach, or back with my knees up, waiting for it to stop. It didn't stop and I ended up throwing everything up. It was pretty much the same story Sunday night again.

Monday Morning
I was able to get to sleep both nights but awoke to the same pain on Monday. By this point my back was hurting so I had an early morning soak in an epson salt bath hoping to feel better. Jason was really insistent that I not go to work but since I couldn't figure out the cause of it I didn't think there was any point staying home, I also wasn't contagious. Hoping that just being in the office environment would prevent me from making my exasperated pain noises. Shortly after dropping Jason off at the Subway Station I was screaming in the car from the cramping, shooting, pain in my stomach/chest and back.

An Amazing Boss
I barely made it to my desk before having to retreat to the bathroom and then my car, the pain had continued to build and at this point was excruciating. I called Jason, who contacted my doctor's office and left work to come get me. My boss brought me my purse that I had left at my desk and was quite concerned to see me hunched beside the car. We waited for Jason and she kept me company as I paced, huffed, groaned, and gritted my teeth. The theory was a possible muscle spasm in my back. Jason was able to get me an appointment right away to see my doctor, whose clinic is conveniently close to work. My boss drove me over and we met Jason there.

At The Doctor's Office
"You seem quite uncomfortable," was my doctor's opening statement, a phrase that I proceeded to use throughout the rest of my morning. By the time she was seeing me I was dripping in sweat, a new added feature of embarrassment beyond the crying and other physical and verbal reactions to whatever was going on. It was difficult to lie down on the examining table, and extremely difficult to straighten my legs. There was no way to determine what was going on because I was "too guarded." All my abdominal muscles were flexed from the pain. She decided to send me to the emergency room because she was concerned it was something that needed to be diagnosed faster than doing outpatient testing, blood work, etc through the clinic. She thought it might be a stomach ulcer.

At The Hospital With My Husband
My first experience in a Toronto Hospital was a real eye opener. St. Joseph's was a lot different from emergency rooms I have been to in Ottawa, Brantford, or Paris. However, they still did a great job, and I got to call Jason my husband which is still quite a thrill. I was seen right away by, first a triage nurse, fast-track nurse, and then doctor. The doctor had the same issue that my physician had, my stomach was too firm to feel anything and I was in too much pain to locate the exact location of discomfort. It basically hurt between my shoulder blades, the center of my chest, and around the perimeter of my stomach. She sent me over to the normal waiting area with a request that the nurses there give me pain medication, take a blood sample, and send me for an ultrasound. She wanted to check quickly that it wasn't appendicitis.

The Morphine Drip
My care at St. Joe's came to a halt and I sat with Jason in a waiting area for a long time before someone got a chance to fill the doctor's orders. It was very busy. The pain slowly subsided and I wanted to return to my normal clinic and solve the issue as an out patient. Jason made me stay. I was given an IV, blood was taken and a bag of morphine was attached. (I didn't really need any pain medication at that point, the 'discomfort' had fallen from a 9 to a 3, however I was scared of everything starting to hurt again so I didn't decline the drugs.) They got me into the ultrasound area soon after that.

Ultrasound
The technician told me that she couldn't tell me anything and I would get the results from the doctor; the ultrasound really confused me because the wand was only moved over the top right portion of my stomach. Not where I would think the actual stomach was, and definitely not near where my mom has her appendix scar. I didn't ask questions, I was too tired and she had made it clear that she wasn't able to give answers anyway.

An Answer
We were sent back to the same waiting area and I worried it would be another long wait but it didn't end up being too bad. The doctor called me over, open the chart, and simply answered, "Well, you have multiple gallstones!" I was very glad to have an answer, even if I had no idea what it meant.

Water Ruins Your House

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A Sunday post about my Dad, named after a song that he loved.

I think I know why Jason's work replacing the toilet last weekend was so impressive - because growing up my family always had all plumbing related tasks done by a professional. We have a couple of family friends who are plumbers so I think we would usually ask them. I never saw my parents change or repair plumbing-things.

My parents did quite a bit of stuff around the house themselves, even to the point that Dad helped my uncle built the two story garage at The Cottage. Dad also did the pot-lights in the basement in Paris. So, to this day, I think that a lot of stuff can be muddled through by amateurs but all water related items must be super hard.

I think it was from a fear of water damage that Dad didn't tackle plumbing projects (and I'm not talking about anything complex either - he called someone in to change a faucet.) Electrical work can hurt you but badly done plumbing work can hurt your house. Dad considered the house an investment that was very very important to protect.

Dad also didn't do any repairs himself on the cars. I wonder where that came from.

Dad's Bladder

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A Sunday post about my Dad, named after a song that he loved.

Two years ago I talked about the annoying development of the need to pee at 4am each morning that my dad had also dealt with. It looks like my bladder is becoming even more like his.

I drove to Ottawa yesterday and had to stop to pee twice! I was only driving from Toronto so it wasn't even as long of a time in the car as a trip between the capital and Paris or Long Point would be. Using the OnRoute stops, I am fast and efficient. I double it up with getting gas or food and make the break quick. Still, I never had to go before and could make the whole trip without even thinking about using the bathroom.

At least I am not taking driving breaks to splash cold water on my face to stay awake, which was Dad's trick. I just drink caffeinated things.

Four Things

Erin AH filled this out on her Facebook and I thought I would transplant it over the the blog, also I am heading to Ottawa tomorrow to visit her so that is exciting and fitting:

Four places I've lived: 
1. Cambridge, ON (1984-1985)
2. Paris, ON (1985-2003)
3. Ottawa, ON (2003-2010)
4. Toronto, ON (2010-now)

Four things I love to watch on TV or Netflix: 
1. The Daily Show
2. Orange Is The New Black
3. Archer
4. Property Brothers

Four names I go by:
1. Chris
2. Christine
3. Aunt Chris
4. Tita Chris

Four places I have visited: 
1. San Diego, CA
2. Yekaterinburg, Russia
3. Tangier, Morocco
4. Corner Brook, NL

Four things I love to eat: 
1. Bread
2. Watermelon
3. Pasta
4. Spaghetti Squash

Four favorite drinks:
1. Chocolate Milk
2. Pink Lemonade
3. Coke Zero
4. Gin and Tonic

Four people I would like to see respond:
1. Mom, maybe even on her blog
2. Steph
3. The T's (Taylor and Teri)
4. People who don't usually leave comments

Copy and paste this into the comments for this post and fill in your responses. Have some fun!

Skating Rinks On My Teeth

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A Sunday post about my Dad, named after a song that he loved.

It was usually my dad that took me to the dentist, which was in Cambridge. We never switched it to a Paris one, I don’t know why. It was a long drive and we always went in the morning for the first appointment. I now automatically book the 8am slot for all my cleanings and dental work because I am so used to that being the norm. We then got dropped off at school and my Dad would go to work.

I remember at some point I went to get sealants put into my molars. The sealants were described to me as ‘skating rinks’ filling in the deep holes so that it would be easier to keep my teeth clean. Since this type of dental work is preventative and can be expensive I am surprised my Dad wanted me to get it done. I don’t think that Mike ended up having them later on – maybe it was a fad thing.

I was really really young so they must have been put into my baby teeth. The internet says that the ‘baby’ molars fall out between the ages of 10-13. That would mean people in middle school (which for me was at PDHS) were losing teeth, that seems really late in my mind. I must have had my molars filled in again when my adult teeth finished coming in. I remember the ‘skating rink’ explanation was given to me when I was child, not a pre-teen. So I got sealants twice!

They have worked well since I haven’t any cavities in my molars. I was told that they would only last for a few years (the internet says five years or more) but I actually still have one! I got x-rays done at the dentist last week and one showed up. It is going strong some 20 years later.

 They have this cool new thing too, where not only do they take the x-rays, but also little photos with a special stick. This tooth (coincidentally the one that has the bright white ‘skating rink’ on it) was photographed because it have a deep groove in the back that I am getting filled as a preventative measure. It won’t be done with sealant but a more permanent material.

The Story Of A Hole

Like the great 'photo essays' that came before (Tigers, Toddy, Posts from Paris)  I want to tell you a story, and I am going to do so with pictures...

So, Jason and I have purchased a house.

It has many great aspects but needs some renovations.

Let's follow the path of one of the smaller ones.

One we did ourselves...

So, in the Master Bedroom, during our inspection:

What is hiding behind that big dresser?

And that mirror on the wall behind?

Oh, it is a really really old AC unit!

In a built-in hole in the wall, great.

(Makes sense though, you can see it from the outside.)

There is it, between the two windows for the Master Bedroom.

Yes, the smaller of those two windows is in a closet.

I don't understand it either.

Thankfully Uncle Dabo (Dave/David) came with Aunty Nicky.

He helped Jason brainstorm and build a solution.

First they had to address the heat loss issue:

The hole around the unit got packed with insulation.

We 'borrowed' the insulation from our contractor.

Our basement is full of cool building supplies at the moment.

The green bit to the right is a piece of tape.

This is how I leave requests for people at the house.

That one was asking that the electricians remove the outlet.

They did, the hole has no live wiring anymore.

Next they cut the piece of paneling we bought.

Electric circular saw didn't hold charge well.

This part took the longest.

Afterwards though it looked great:

Adjustments were made and it fit perfectly.

Literally seamless after I added a bit of wood filler.

(Painting has started in the Master Bedroom,

it will be light grey, goodbye hole, goodbye yellow!)

Check out the Before and After:

(I will post another when the painting is finished.)

Massive massive thank you to my uncle for coming by (twice).

This wasn't the only thing he helped with.

We are so grateful for the expertise and assistance!!

Needing Alternatives

Yesterday, in my rant against publicly funded Catholic Schools in Ontario, I referenced that I see one advantage to the system. The positive that I see is that it provides a second school choice and it provides it everywhere.

Growing up some students would switch to attend high school in the Catholic system, which meant taking a bus from Paris into Brantford. Sometimes it was a case of not wanting to attend PDHS, or no longer wanting to attend PDHS, or other reasons. A switch of schools, without having to move, is a nice option to have available.

Without the Catholic Boards across the province there wouldn't really be that place to switch to (or from) if the child or parent felt a change was necessary. Poor behavior, disagreements with teachers or administration, bullying, a bad group of friends, even easier commutes, could all be reasons to leave one school and want to try another.

In Toronto, the main school board offers French Immersion or specialized Academies for kids who are Elementary age. These might work for some kids but not ones struggling academically, there are also Alternative choices. In Toronto these options are available and often fairly close by, in other parts of Ontario that isn't the case.

It is nice to have a second 'normal/basic' school to switch too. It is very difficult to have a child go to a school in a different district than assigned in Toronto. - The Toronto Star wrote an article about this. If I was faced with these types of decisions as a parent I wouldn't switch my child into the Catholic system, but I know lots of parents who would do it or who have done it - it is nice to have that easy alternative.

But is it worth the unfairness it shows to all other religions whose school systems don't get funding and must be run privately? I personally don't think so.

Get Your Crucifix Out Of My Pocket

I cannot believe that the Ontario Provincial Government is still funding a Catholic School Board. (I also think it is amazing that the Lord's Prayer was read in my public school growing up.)

 I read a good piece about this in yesterday's Metro newspaper. I agree with everything that Samantha Emann says, including:

"Publicly funded Catholic schools are unfair to Canada’s many other religious groups and cultures. Funding all religious schools equally would be a logistical nightmare, and in my view, public services should be affirmatively secular." 

"Some Catholic schools’ boards, trustees, teachers and advising clergy have a record of discriminatory, socially regressive efforts to hinder advances made in the interest of student safety and learning."

I hadn't even thought about the cost factor, of course it is more expensive to have both and merging them could save tax payer money. As a tax payer I am angered that my money is going to provide teaching in the Catholic faith but not other religions. It needs to be an all or nothing situation. Apparently British Colombia funds different denominations. I can see that while option would be logistically challenging, at least it is fair. The current system is not fair.

In terms of dismantling it, which I hope happens sooner rather than later, if the percentages listed in the article are correct there isn't strong enough opposition at this time. Yes 51% wanting to end the public funding for Catholic schools is technically a majority but only barely. Also, 38% wanting to continue it is really powerful, and needs to be listened to. I guess it isn't time yet.

I do see one advantage to having the publicly funded Catholic School Board in Ontario - I will post about that tomorrow.

KFCelica

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A Sunday post about my Dad, named after a song that he loved.

Today we picked up a KFC for lunch - Jason's parents have been staying at Casa Verde this weekend and helping us with basement demo. We had wanted to get the amazing Fish and Chips again, from the local shop around the corner, but it is closed on Sundays.

I have many memories of being squished into the back seat of my Dad's blue Celica beside a paper bag of KFC, which would smell so good. I remember the car just being filled with the scent of fried chicken for the whole drive home across town. Sometimes we would go to Lions Park to have a picnic.

Bath Time

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

I mentioned Dad's mustache last week, and have posted a picture before, but I thought it was time to show you all again:

Dad Giving Me A Bath

June 18th, 1984

Photo of a photo

I love that the old photos used to include the date. Ok, actually it totally ruins them for framing and such but it is good reference. I would have no idea when this was taken, sometime in my first few months because of my size, so tiny, but now I know the exact day. I am less than a month old in this photo, literally born only 26 days before.

My Dad does not look nearly tired enough to have been dealing with a for newborn for three and a half weeks. Though I was an excellent sleeper, maybe even from this point.

I don't really recognize that wall paper but it reminds me of Grandma's house, though it could be from the house in Cambridge that I don't remember, since we moved to Paris when I was about a year and a half. However, I totally remember that tablecloth, I think my mom still has it.

Mom With Candy, Dad With The Kids

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

My dad always took us trick-or-treating, and when I was really young he even dressed up. Talking with a group of friends at Teri's last night, turns out that most families sent the dad out with the kids and the mom stayed home giving out the candy on Halloween.

Where I Get It From - Fitness Edition

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

My dad was quite athletic and liked to be active. He played squash at a local racquet club multiple times a week until his hip issues required him to stop. I am less active but here is where I get some of my fitness inclinations.

Running: Mom - She started in the early 2000s when helping me train for my misguided desire to apply for RMC, then she stuck with it for a while. Running was too boring for my Dad and it hurt his joints, if he joined us on a jog he would try to run beside us in the grass because it was softer. (And also did funny 'extras' like running backwards, or arm workouts, or cheering us on.)
Biking: Both - My mom and dad did a few bike trips together, (and we did biking day trips a lot as a family). They liked rail trails because of the gradual hills. I am now using my his bike since mine was stolen this summer.
Swimming: Mom - My mom used to swim at the YMCA when she worked in downtown Brantford. She has always liked swimming and been very good at it.
Yoga: Mom - She now does it each morning when she wakes up. Though similar to the running, it may have been me that got her into it initially.
Fitness Classes: Neither - My mom goes to them more than my dad ever did but in general it is more my thing. I love spinning classes.
Competitive Sports: Dad -  My dad liked the challenge of competition. When he sailed he preferred to race. His squash playing was competitive and he was parts of multiple leagues for it. My mom plays volleyball in the winter but says that they don't really keep score.
Team Sports: Neither - I played a few years of baseball growing up and a lot of soccer. However, my parents weren't really into team sports themselves. My mom prefers solitary fitness activities and my dad was social with his squash but it is still an individual sport. Keelboat sailing is as closest thing to team sports that they ever seriously participated in. As I have gotten older I have also moved away from this type of fitness activity.

Not Following Jack

Teri and I have done A LOT of road trips with each other. Sometimes with family, sometimes with other friends, and sometimes just the two of us together. I am so excited for our upcoming trip driving through the US along the coast of the Pacific. It is going to be epic!

One of the things we have done in the past is to read out-loud in the car. Teri can't read in the car because it makes her sick, and listening to music only gets you so far. I guess we could listen to audio books but I don't get sick reading in the car, so when not driving I sometimes read.

I can only really remember the time I read Tuck Everlasting out-loud because it was a particularly nostalgic choice; our Grade 5 teacher had read it to us. I am pretty sure that happened on the road trip out to Vancouver with Teri and her friend in the Spring of 2009. If not, than it was a few years ago, Summer of 2012, when Teri and I traveled around the Northeastern United States. Though maybe we picked a different book then, or maybe didn't do it at all.

Anyway, we have decided to revive the activity for this road trip and Teri suggested Jack Kerouac's On The Road which I am going to borrow from the library. Today I came across a really cool online article, called The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature's Most Epic Road Trips, and On The Road was one of the trips that was mapped:

It looks like part of the novel will take place in San Francisco and the southern part of California. None of the books listed followed the route Teri and I planned, but some overlapped parts of it.

Birthday Buffets

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

I have mentioned my love of buffets before, and that my dad loved them too. This evening I went to Tuckers Marketplace, which is a buffet chain with three locations, including one in Ottawa that I used to love. Jason hates buffets but agreed to go. It is free on your birthday! (Seeing that the cost on a weekend is about $25 a person, not having to pay for one of us makes a big difference.)

I understand Jason's complaints about buffets, the food isn't usually very good and there is a drive to 'eat your money's worth.' My dad definitely felt the need to eat lots to get high value for the price - which is pretty unhealthy. I just enjoy having a little bit of a lot of different things.

Dad liked really cheap buffet places, so the expense of Tuckers wouldn't have really appealed to him. He used to go to a Chinese one in Brantford that was $5 at lunch. My mom doesn't like them very much, but would agree to go because they usually have lots of shrimp that she can eat plates and plates of. It was really just Dad and I that loved them - it would have been fun to go to Las Vegas together, if only for this strange (and slightly unhealthy) shared love.