A Little Oscar Story.... True!

I remember years ago when I lived in the East Bay San Francisco - my roommate was dating a guy who was high up in the echelon of a certain TV station in The City.   She was invited to attend the Oscars as his date.

My room mate was quite a picky gal, but she had all kinds of suitors lining up to have a chance to date her. 

I remember one guy that had the misfortune to have a little car trouble on his two hour round trip to pick her up for a dinner date.  He was five minutes late.

Because of this tardiness, she kept him standing on the doorstep as she took the flowers he offered and told him that if he didn't respect her enough to be on time, she wasn't going to bother going out with him.  She shut the door in his face.

She didn't even think twice about turning him away.

She ignored my "awww the poor guy...." comment, and just refused to lower her standards - as she put it.

I secretly admired such confidence and attitude  - that she wouldn't put up with anything.....although, I did feel sorry for that one guy.

Back to the Red Carpet.

A couple days before the Oscars - she announced she had changed her mind.

Incredulously, I looked at her - mouth agape.

"I don't like the guy" she proclaimed.  "I'm not going to go."

That was the end of that.

I think that I probably would have suffered with the guy for ONE night - and gone -  just for the experience and the ambiance and to say I had attended the Oscars.

Anyway. 

Here is a little story of someone I knew - and worked with  - One of the Residents on L&D - and a very good one at that! - who performed at the Oscars a few years back. 

The Resident paid for her education with her part time job -  performing with Cirque du Soleil. 

Since the Cirque is performing again this year at the Oscars....I thought it might just be a very timely recycle.

Hope you enjoy it. 

That -  and the Oscars tonight.

Kids Can't Fly



The house that my brother fell out of

 When my younger brother was not quite 2 years old, he fell from a  window of our house to the gravel below.  He landed on his face - blood all over.  

My mom called a taxi - leaving us three older children in the care of our aunt - and rushed him to Emergency. 

The only visible evidence of the fall today is a small scar on his forehead hairline and an absent frenulum.



My mom with my brother

 
But, to this day, I wonder if there was some sort of residual brain injury, because  -  he just isn't right.

********

It's an accident that is easily preventable.

Yet every year there are more than 5,000 children that fall out of windows in the USA.  

I find it surprising with all the publicity and preventative measures available,  that there has been quite a rash of children falling out of windows lately in the Metro Vancouver area in the last 4 months:

September 18, 2011: A boy, 13 months old - out of a second story window - possible fractured leg, in Surrey.

August 10, 2011: A 2 year old boy out of a 3rd floor window  in Surrey, injuring his face.

August 11, 2011: A 3 year old boy fell out of a second storey townhouse window - condition unknown, in Maple Ridge.

July 14, 2011: A 2 year old fell 2 storeys in Surrey.

June 3rd, 2011: A 2 year old fell to her death from an 8th storey window in New Westminster.

June 17, 2011: A 5 year old fell 3 storeys in Burnaby.

May 14, 2011: An 8 year old fell from a 4th storey window in Abbotsford.

May 19, 2011: A 4 year old fell 2 storeys in West Vancouver.


The statistics haven't changed much in the last 20 years.....  since Eric Clapton's 4 year old son fell out of a 54th storey window in New York.

Overcome by grief, he wrote this song:



You would think we would learn and at least install guards on the window.

In NYC - it's the law.

This makes me cry.

Yes, humans are suffering.

But animals don't have a voice or a choice.

SPCA of BC is one of the charities I support.

So does our local gal, Sarah.

Hockey and Bono - Quite the story...

It seems that there are some people who would give up a chance to attend the Stanley cup finals to attend a U2 Concert.

You have to see this.

A Hockey player from the Edmonton Oilers team was driving in Vancouver and spotted Bono hitch-hiking along the road. 

Bono had gone out for a walk and got caught in the rain, and didn't want to walk all the way back to where he was staying. 

The Hockey player recognized him and turned his truck around and picked him up - letting Bono ride in the back with his dog.

I am like Betsy - I don't have very good face-recognition capability - took the test she suggested and failed miserably - so probably would have passed him right by anyway.....never mind that I don't pick up hitch-hikers.

Anymore that is.

:)

Green Men

Ya, Hockey again.

What do you expect? It's Vancouver.

I know I have already admitted in a past post that I hate hockey. 

Nothing new there.

Unfortunately, my American husband, who at the beginning of last year had no idea what a hockey puck was - even when he held it in his hand* - is now a rabid fan of the Canucks.

What monster have we created????

I should have told him that NO ONE watches hockey here in Canada.  Unfortunately, he went to work and the guys there indoctrinated him - good.

So I will be posting about.....some of the most significant people/things related to HOCKEY....whilst my husband watches the game (Canucks vs Nashville Predators) at a million decibels (what is with that anyway?)

First:  The Green Men

Here's their Fan Website
You can actually buy a C*nucks Hockey Jersey with  this
Green Men symbol on it....

Ya gotta love 'em.

They do their share of distracting the opposition. They do the Canucks a great service, even though the NHL doesn't acknowledge them.

They do their best work sitting next to the penalty box.  Check it out:






And again - watch what the hockey player does at the end:




Here the Green Men bait a Chicago Blackhawks player with a cardboard cutout of  Vince Vaughn - a Blackhawks fan - often seen in Chicago seating....Tonight they used Carrie Underwood's cutout - wearing a Canucks jersey (her husband is a Nashville Predator Hockey player):




How did they get the idea to do this?
In their own words:

"After watching an episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", which is where the Green Men originates from, we both looked at each other and I do believe we actually yelled "Eureka" at the same time. It was a little weird, but we knew it was fate. We knew we had to become Green Men and go to a Canucks game. As for hesitations, there was a few... I mean we aren't really wearing anything so that was a concern... and the first game we went to, it was about -5, so as we walked from our car to GM Place, it was quite tempting to bail out. I'm sure glad we didn't though!"

'Nucks fans LOVE them!!!

To the opposition:  they are more annoying than Don Cherry .
And that's saying something!

Apparently the Green Men rattle the Predators so much, they have run whining to approached the NHL to stop the duo from distracting the players - even going as far as to try and ban them from the stadium - according to a tweet from the Green Men ONE HOUR AGO. Talk has it they are now instructed NOT TO TOUCH THE GLASS.....

Excuse me, but they are FANS just like the rest - and have paid for their seats. They are now a fixture, or at very least, a very fun side show, providing much-needed entertainment in what might otherwise be a very b-o-r-i-n-g game.....IMHO.


More on Don Cherry tomorrow!





* he got the puck as a Christmas gift from my friend Jan's husband.  Thought it was a coaster.

************************************

ADDENDUM: I can't belive this Google Search:
"

Duncan, British Columbia arrived from google.ca on "R(etired)N: Yes, Canucks have overthrown last Year's Stanley Cup Champions" by searching for have canucks won stanley cup. "

No way. Someone in Duncan, B.C. doesn't even know whether the Canucks have won the Stanley Cup or not????  I know Duncan is a little out of the way and slightly isolated due to being on the Island and all......but........EVERYONE.....even ME......she-who-hates-hockey - knows the answer to THAT one!!!!

Do You Vote?

Canada has a Federal election on May 2nd, which, incidentally and ironically, happens to fall on the last day that we can, as Canadians, submit our Income Tax.

It seems, according to statistics, that students don't vote.

I thought back to when I was a student....and it's true. I didn't think of voting. I knew what was going on...but I didn't do anything about it. I was too busy with the other things going on in my life.

And, after all - what difference could it make -  to me?

Rick Mercer is the Canadian equivalent of Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart - delivering political satire to Canadians. He has a popular TV show: The Rick Mercer Report.


A challenge was sent out:




Watch this: "Voting 101" for Students, by Rick Mercer - on his show:






And amazingly enough, Students responded:



The movement - "Vote Mob" at the universities across the country started in Guelph. You can find quite a few different videos made by the students at different University across the country.

The message is all the same: It doesn't matter how you vote...just get out and VOTE.

It's your right.

Well, I think we all knew this a long time ago...

Dr Oz is NOT a good information source.....article written by a reluctant former colleague.....

Day 8....a little late......

Day 8... a day late

My girlfriend came over for the day yesterday whilst my husband visited the golf course for the last time.

Technically, she is my parent's friend, but through the years - I have been the one to keep in touch.  When I moved to California in 1989, it just so happened that she and her husband lived only several blocks from where I ended up renting.

Emmie and I sat in the sun and savoured my freshly squeezed lemonade.

It's amazing what direction our lives take when we aren't paying attention.

Emmie's husband passed away not long ago, while I recently acquired mine.

Emmie's financial status has gone downhill since her husband's passing,  while my financial situation has vastly improved.

She is both American and Canadian, and is hoping to move back up to Canada in the next couple years.  She will first have to sell her house,  whose value in the present California market has devalued so badly, she may be left with next to nothing - if she can even sell it.

Emmie and I talked about what it is like to get older and how the physical body just isn't the same - and how the deterioration was something older people and parents had happen to them - not us. 
 
Her health issues are declining and the only option she will have soon,  is to hightail it back to Canada and get into the system where at least she can keep what she has left, before the US government gobbles up everything.

Interestingly enough, in her younger years, she dated a very well-known man - net worth $5.3 billion - the fifth wealthiest man in Canada.  Of course, he wasn't wealthy back then. Just driven  and agressive, she says.  Apparently - not her cup of tea.

Because of choices she made along the way - she ended up in a totally different place than he.

But who's to say there weren't lessons learned on both sides of the fence -  and on different scales?    I am sure both had their own trials and tribulations and through it all, they came out on the other end of the tunnel of life learning what they were supposed to have learned?

We flew out today, and although it was a nice break......I am glad to be going home.

I Just Haven't Met You Yet....

Here is Michael Buble's video "I Just Haven't Met You Yet" where he obviously did meet his now-wife.

Yes, that's her in his video:



They did the same thing as my husband and myself - got married in a "legal" wedding, then another ceremony after the fact elsewhere.

Actually, there will be a celebration in Argentina, and then one in Vancouver. I wonder if I am invited?

I will have to call him up.

Smiling

Ever want to be famous? Here is your chance.

Go to the website and if you have a webcam, you can put yourself in the band's Music Video.

Just follow the directions.

I did it.

So if you look carefully through the thirty-one thousand or so submitted frames....you can perhaps pick me out! :)


On another note -


Our homeboy Michael Buble is married!  Today!

Got married to an Argentine actress....my 2 nieces will be very upset when they find out....

Royal Wedding in One Month

Why am I posting about something that isn't anything that most Canadians really care about?

I can remember watching The Wedding of Charles and Diana thirty years ago.

I had flown with my sister-in-law and her two little kids to the Middle-of-Nowhere, Saskatchewan - where my RCMP brother (NOT the same one as I previously mentioned!) was posted - to help with the kids and visit.

The town was right out of an old western movie, with dust-blown dirt streets and a hotel/store/post office/soda fountain was the one-and-only community social place.

This particular night July 29th, 1981 - my sister-in-law had arisen to breast-feed my little nephew. It was a tiny house with thin walls and - not being used to babies crying in the middle of the night - I was awakened.

Since I wasn't able to get back to sleep - decided I may as well watch The Wedding with my sis-in-law.

We watched it in it's entirety.

I am not sure if I will do the same for the upcoming nuptials one month from today. Would you?

On the other hand - if you like to knit, you could always recreate your own little Wedding:




Ingenious!

Much more fun to watch, and a great deal shorter!

A Startrek moment...

Every single time this ad comes on TV, my husband laughs so loud and long.  I don't understand how he can think something is funny after the first time seeing it.

What do you think??:



I am the type of person that, once I have read this book or have seen that movie - I don't want to read or see it again. 

Oh, well.

It amuses him.

And - that makes me laugh.

An Irish Toast to a life Well Lived

Today my uncle would have been 83.

He was a great man, not only in character, but also in generosity.
  
My uncle worked his way up the ranks of the Ironworkers  Union.   He eventually became a widely respected negotiator within the union, known for his even temper and undying patience. 

He served his is last ten years as one of the several Presidents of the Ironworkers Union for the whole of North America.

Despite his yarn-spinning abilities, he didn't boast much, but that was my uncle's way.

The stories he told were more of an aside, as a reluctant observer.  Some of the stories I had to hear second-hand because of his quiet demeanour.

Such was the story of when he was on a flight with the Prime Minister of Canada - Pierre Elliot Trudeau.  They discussed many issues facing Canada while Trudeau's three little boys played in the aisle of the plane. 

It was not too long after that,  my uncle got a phonecall from Prime Minister Trudeau himself, offering him a government position in Ottawa.   My uncle was too much a family man to uproot his little family and move back east - and declined the offer.

British Columbia was home to him.

In the week that is typically celebrated as Irish... I remember an Irishman that was true to himself,  and toast my Uncle, a wonderful man and a great human being who lost his fight with lung cancer six years ago.

Eh - Aye ( A - I )

It's no secret my husband and I like the show. 

We used to watch it "together" in seperate cities before we were married, instant messaging back and forth and rating each contestant.

We figured last year was the final year we would watch it because it was starting to get old.  I didn't really like the way the judges would tear apart the kids trying out for the show.

Yes, some of the "talent" was lacking - with little insight into their singing abilities (or should I say dis-abilities).  I blame the pre-screeners  for even putting some of those "contestants" through - obviously done for drama - not talent.

But - now with Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler added as the new judges....what an improvement!  They show heart and compassion.

I've always liked Aerosmith. Now I have new admiration for their frontman.

Steven Tyler was so touching when he reached out to one of the contestants - Chris Medina's fiance Juliana who is confined to a wheelchair due to a traumatic brain injury. 

Here is the story - I'll bet you can't watch it without shedding at least one tear:



By the way, Chris Medina was eliminated and isn't in the Top 24.
I really do think that American Idol saved the show - at least for one more season - by bringing in Jennifer and Steven .....I like them.


The male contestants I am rooting for this time 'round? Out of the 12:

1. James Durbin : a young man who struggles with Tourettes and Asperger's. His musician Daddy died of an OD when he was just a little guy.  One word - AMAZING! Dare I say he is better than Adam Lambert at times?

2. Jacob Lusk: he sure did an incredible "God Bless the Child" in a previous show....he has one amazing voice..!!! wow. wow. Luther Vandross voice doppelganger.

3. Brett Loewenstern: a young man that was/is bullied in school, a real carrot top!  He has quite the voice! And he's 16!!

4. Scott McCreery: A sweet young man who had an epiphany during the eliminations and apologized for not sticking up for a dejected co-contestant when he could have.  His vocals may be limited to country, but I love his style.  And 16 years old???!! Crazy.

5. Paul McDonald: raspy-Rod-Stewart voiced Kenny Loggins look-alike. I just like him - and his voice.

6. Casey Abrams: He is just one quirky guy. Love his quirky style and voice. Hope he can keep it up.





NOTE: you can purchase Chris Medina's new song: "What are Words" (written by a composer who has also written for Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson) from iTunes. The proceeds go towards a fund set up for Juliana, to help with her recovery/treatment expenses.

Words of Wisdom from Lady Gaga

"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore."   .... Lady Gaga

me when i was a wee little one

Having lived most of my life on my own....I find this to be very true.  Of course, depending on what kind of relationship you find - it can be very different. 

I admit, it's true:  I am sometimes envious of friends that found their partner early in life and have developed a "family"....with children and now grandchildren.

But really, in the end, I followed the path that led to my "career" and I can honestly say, that although I would rather have been an artist - or maybe a mother, the practical choice I made to become an RN has served me well.  There are aspects of the life I lived and the knowledge I have that I would not trade for anything.

The fact that I have been able to stand on my own, and be master of my own destiny and make choices that, in the most part, were only made possible due to the career path I have chosen....is worth more to me than any other choices I might have made.

The brief feeling of envy is quickly replaced by a whole lot of other things in my life that are, although maybe to those with families seem unimportant, are very satisfying and give me a lot of peace and happiness. 

I don't regret not having children.  I don't regret most of the decisions I have made, and if I were to do it all over again...  I would walk the same path - only with these changes:

1.  Allowing myself to make mistakes and not flagellate myself for  them.

2.  Having confidence in my own decisions - not to second guess.

3.  Love more. No one can really say they love too much!

4.  Hate less. Now that is a waste of time and energy!

5.  Celebrate and enjoy my singleness more.

6.  Give more. There are always those less fortunate - and it improves one's mental health!

7.  Save more money and spend less on silly things that didn't matter much down the line.

8.  Not to focus on relationships with males as a measure of success in life.

Yes, I did grieve, at the moment, over failed relationships, but aren't failed relationships part of life and a means of growth?  For those, I am thankful.

I can look back at my life's path now and see what I could have done better and how much easier I could have made the experience, but then would I have had the same growth opportunity? 

When you aren't challenged in life, you end up with a shallow life.  It's these "growth opportunities" that mold character and create a life with dimension.

Expanding a little on the quote by Lady Gaga above, I have to say that the NUMBER ONE thing that has impacted my life, apart from my faith (and yes, that does include the decision to marry my husband!) is my decision to become an RN.  Take heart, nursing students - you have much to look forward to!

Being a sunny cold day,  I am spending my time contemplating......while my husband plunks away at my guitar!

Would David Foster write a Song for you?

What if you were 15 years old and as a result of an MVA was paralyzed from your waist down?

Would you feel that your life was over? Give up your dreams?
Would you be angry that your life isn't what it could have been?
Would you resent anyone and everyone...especially the one responsible for the accident?

Would you give up and  gradually become dependent on the government to provide for you and waste your life and spend your time wishing you could have lived a life with 2 working legs?

Or would you be like Rick Hansen?

Definitely Rick Hansen had enough reason to feel this way, because he was that 15 year-old.

 He was born in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and raised in Williams Lake, B.C.  After his accident, he went on to graduate from high school and  and then UBC** with a Phys Ed degree - the first student with a disability to do so.

He became a paralympic athlete.  My cousin met him socially while working as an RN in the Spinal Cord  ICU at the now defunct Shaughnessy Hospital.  At that time he was in training for what was to come.

Inspired by Terry Fox, Rick decided to do something similar - only a little more ambitious. 

The Man In Motion World Tour was the challenge that tested his limits.   His Tour started in Vancouver - March 1985 - and he logged more than 40,000 Kms  over 26 months,  through 34 countries on 4 continents wearing through 117 wheelchair tires.   He finally rolled across Canada from the east to the west, ending up in BC Place Stadium - May 1987 -  to thousands of cheering people. 

 I can remember buying a sweatshirt with his Tour's logo on it and wearing it to work at the hospital.  Everyone was excited  -   a "Local Boy" doing such an amazing and inspirational thing.  He raised $26 Million for Spinal Cord Research and Quality of Life Initiatives on that Tour alone.

David Foster, a Canadian and well-known composer and record producer wrote a song specifically in honor of Rick Hansen.   "St. Elmo's Fire(Man in Motion)" was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA in  September 1985.

"Heart of a Dragon" *** released in October 2010,  is a movie portraying Rick's entrance into Beijing China where one million Chinese hailed him as a hero.

Since it's inception, Rick Hansen's Charitable Foundation has raised over $200 Million for Spinal Cord Injury Initiatives and Programs.  His Organization funded the last $8 Million required to open the Spinal Cord unit at Vancouver General Hospital and is credited with being the driving force behind iCORD which is a network to share 'best practices' in spinal cord treatment across Canada and internationally -  so MDs and experts can share information on what does and doesn't work in the Rehabilitation of spinal injuries.

He and his wife Amanda Reid (his former physiotherapist) and their 3 daughters live in Richmond, B.C.

..........................................................................................................


“Who is more disabled - someone who can't forget tragedy or someone who can't walk - someone who can't chase their dream or a disabled man who does?” - Michael French, Director of Heart of a Dragon


.........................................................................................................
**University of British Columbia
***click on "scenes" to watch the trailers of the movie "Heart of a Dragon"

Johnny Depp is my MD

So I went to see the doc that will be my new MD yesterday.

I knew when I went to my appointment,  he was going to be young.   He has been an MD for 5 years. Got his education at McGill University. ( alumni include 9 Nobel Laureates, 161 Rhodes scholars, 3 astronauts, 2 Canadian Prime Ministers, 4 Justices of the Supreme Court, 3 foreign leaders,9 Academy Award winners, 3 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 28 Olympic medalists...and ya, I realize there are people who graduate at the bottom of their classes - but allow me to be optimistic here....)

He hails from Saskatchewan - just like my father.  Good stuff.

What does he look like?

No lie.

The spitting image.  (without the moustache and beard-thing)

Very disconcerting.
 
Especially since he is one of the only "stars" I enjoy seeing in a movie. ( ....so much for my future pap tests)

We had a discussion about his rating on rating MDs dot com.  We both laughed when I told him what I thought of the opinions published on the website (2 thumbs down).  Apparently he thinks the same thing. 

He stated that his partner in the office (who has only been practicing for only one year) made the big mistake of looking at his own ratings on the website and he was devastated by the critiques expressed on there about himself.

 I had looked in advance at both docs on that website, so was quite aware of the published opinions.

"What???" I exclaimed in disbelief.  "How can he be upset with the critiques about him on that site ? He has all smiley-faces and only *one* report that was mediocre and even then was mostly positive."

"Ya, I know.....he was pretty upset - almost immobilized by the report"

Which goes to show, MDs are people too, are sensitive and are subject to the same feelings we are.

More to come.

Bob Hope

credit

I can remember 30 plus years ago,  flying into the Palm Springs airport.....to meet with the rest of our family for Christmas. Mom and Dad had rented out several condos - one each for themselves and the two of us that were now couples -plus their children -  and one more for the "singles".

 It would be a nice respite between writing my Diploma Nursing exams and our CNATS (Canadian NCLEX equivalent).

My older sister and husband were flying in from Indiana with their new baby that we had yet to meet***


We were all excited to get together and spend the whole week at the resort - and were at the Palm Springs Airport to pick up the last of our family - our big sis.

My youngest sister spots my oldest sister and family.  She started jumping up and down, screaming and waving excitedly in her direction - all crazy like - along with the rest of us.

Wouldn't you know it - but guess who else was coming through the door - just in front of my oldest sister?

Bob Hope.

He waved at our group, and smiled -   thinking the commotion was about him.

Was he ever surprised when the whole works of us ran past him without a glance and crowded around my sister and her new baby........

I didn't even notice him, and was unaware of the incident until later on when my brother mentioned it.

I was just reminded of this while watching the Bob Hope Classic.

Ya - Golf.  My husband is a fanatic.

"If you watch a game, it's fun.
 If you play it, it's recreation.
 If you work at it, it's GOLF"
..........Bob Hope



*** the "baby" is now a professor at a prominent Eastern University - finishing off her PhD...! That's how long ago it was!!!

Words of Wisdom

I like what this guy has to say: Stephen Fry.

If it's a little too long for you and you can't listen to the entire 35 minutes, just listen to the first 10.

Some gems from this video:

" You can't have an idiot look into a mirror and expect an apostle to be looking out"

" The worst thing you can do for yourself is set goals. Goal orientation is absolutely disastrous." (find out why he says this. Interesting)

"Work is more fun than fun" ( What he is really saying is  - Find what you love doing and you will never work a day in your life. Confucius. )

"There is one common thing that unsuccessful people talk about - themselves"

"I'm sure it's terrible for you dear, but just shut up!" (talking about whiners, complainers and demanding people)

And - from the 29 minute mark to the 30 minute mark:  "The Dark Side to the Internet".....hmm. Talking about those "Obsessed with self - the Kind of people that make {vicious} comments"  - should be required reading. :)

"In the world, what counts more than talent or energy or concentration or commitment is Kindness. Justice {and} truth are dwarfed by the Greatness of Kindness"

I just really liked what he had to say.

A Recent Quote:

“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered.  We know that.  And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like.  It's called being human.

I have found that in the simple act of living with hope,  and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world,  the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious.   And for that I am grateful.”

                                                  - Elizabeth Edwards

Well said.    And may we all have that  same outlook in our everyday lives as this gracious woman.