This is Remarkable

There is a researcher in an office that I have a perfect view of, and he is ALWAYS moving his legs. Seriously, if he is sitting down, his legs are shaking the WHOLE time. In an 8 hour day, both legs shake for 7 hours and 45 mins. The other 15 minutes are him walking to get his lunch and coffee.

It made me wonder if he has restless legs syndrome.....I googled it (since I am soooooo busy at work) and found this video.

It's crazy! Enjoy.

Where Is the Talent?

I realize I am going to sound like an old bag here, but I don't even care.

I don't even attempt to turn on the "young" radio stations anymore. I can't stand almost 90% of the music they play on those stations.

Here is my biggest beef with these "youngins".

Almost every single flippin' song you hear has some sort of digital enhancement. This doesn't allow you to even consider that they can sing. Maybe they can? Who knows.

You know, I normally can't stand Rihanna, for this same reason. It wasn't until I heard this that I realized that she actually DOES have a beautiful voice. It's a shame that all of these newish artists have to hide behind this digitalization crap.

If you are reading this and you have no idea what I am talking about - check out these files:

Example #1

Example #2

Example #3

Sick of it yet?

Call me old, but I like to listen to music that sounds the same on the album as they sound like in concert. Pure voice. I can't even imagine what these artists (and I use this term loosely) would sound like in concert.

Personally, no one has ever sounded as good in person as Sade. You seriously couldn't tell the album version from the concert version- she was that good.

I guess I will continue to listen to the oldie stations. EZ Rock. Foxy.

Sad? I don't think so. It's decent music with mostly decent lyrics.

This post is actually dedicated to my friend Nicola, whose post yesterday made me think about how foolish lyrics are nowadays. ANYONE can be a song writer. Doesn't take talent.

Check out her blog. Hilarious.

Money and Exercise

I've had a few people ask me how both my budget and my running is coming along lately. Well, both of them sorta go hand in hand, strangely enough.

A month ago, I decided to train for this 5K. Had my first successful run. Took me 4 days to recover, seriously. Muscles I didn't even know were there - were hurting. I woke up the day of my second training session with a wicked cold. Said cold lasted...ohhhh...about 5 days. Cough was still there, but I decided to go for my second session anyway. During this run, I felt awful. I couldn't figure out why, considering I was on day 5 of the cold....I managed to finish, but was not feeling wonderful. A few days later I woke up with the stomach flu. Oddly enough, this flu lasted about 5 days as well.

Gone are the days when I fought off a cold and flu in 24 hours.

I attribute this to having to take public transit everywhere. The buses, streetcars and subway are a giant tube chock-full of viruses and bacteria. The sneezing and the coughing in these vehicles are gross at this time of year.

So here I am, over three weeks later, and am heading for only my third session. I played in a volleyball tournament yesterday, and feel good again. I have a headache, but I attribute that to being dehydrated from the stomach flu.

I have not given up, don't worry.

What does this have to do with my budget you ask? Well, I have been spending so much time at home lately, feeling crappy, that I haven't spent any money. Although, I did purchase an Oral B electric toothbrush, since my old one kicked the bucket. My teeth are non-negotiables. Oh, and I had a few birthday gifts to buy too. So, I am still on track with my budget.

Have a good week y'all.

Statcounter

So I just learned about this weird little tool called Statcounter.

Can you say addiction?

This little gadget tells me who is checking my blog, how often, what kind of computer they have, what browser they are using, where they live, their IP address, who their internet provider is, etc. It's very crazy. Who knew that a normal end-user could access this information?

I can see how many return visits people make, how they entered my blog, how they left it...I could go on.

Some people are either realllllllllly bored during the day, or they actually assume I will be posting more than 2-3 posts a day. That soooo won't happen.

I also notice that no one wants to comment - when those are the most exciting aspects for me. If you're reading this, comment, will ya? Not this specific post, but just anything that you read that you'd like to express an opinion about, etc.

I know who you are, and I know you're there.

Big Brother is watching.

[evil laugh]

Dini Dimakos

I stumbled across this tonight- this chick makes me laugh.

Especially love the part where she eats the sandwich.....lol.

The Saddest Thing In The World

So as you know, I work in a hospital environment. Everyday I pass the Emergency Department, and usually try to divert my eyes away from the actual waiting room, as I never know what I might see. I have a weak stomach, and I am not ashamed to admit it.

This specific hospital is known for being busy. There is one hallway on the ground floor that extends about a kilometre long. When you are at one end, you can't see the end of the other. It's THAT far. This hallway is insanely busy with doctors, administration, patients and guests.

The saddest thing in the world to me, is to see a patient sitting in a hospital bed, in the middle of this corridor.

Usually this is a temporary placement, but this is how I see it:

a. being in a hospital bed puts you in a vulnerable position as it is
b. you're usually in a gown, with no bra or underwear
c. I'm assuming that if you're in a bed, you don't feel well, or you REALLY, REALLY don't feel well

So here are these people, in a bed, parked in the middle of this hallway, where 100 people pass by them in about a 10 minute period. There is usually gawking, and curiosity involved with all that walk by. I don't know about you, but when I feel crappy, I just want to be alone. Having 3000 people look at me when I feel like ka-ka is the worst nightmare possible.

When this person is elderly, I have to almost choke back the tears, looking at the sadness in their eyes. Sometimes these people are in the fetal position, toward the wall, trying to retain a fraction of their dignity.

These people are not usually there long - perhaps the porters are on their way to transport them to another floor or department...who knows.

I still think it's such a sad thing to see.

Red Alert!

So I called my mom last Friday night. I don’t talk to her as often as a daughter should, so when I do call her, it’s usually a 2-3 hour conversation. We were about an hour and a half in…..and my fire alarm went off in my unit. First of all, it’s not an actual old school type of bell. It’s just a P.A system with the speaker on my ceiling…and it looks and sounds exactly like this.

This is how security has handled a fire alarm in the past:

After a minute of this alarm going off, you hear:

(Bong – the sound that happens when they press down the button to speak on the P.A.)

Bong

"Attention please, attention please

This is security

The fire department has been notified of this alarm

Please stay in your units and standby for further instructions."

Repeat this 1 or 2 more times

This is how it actually went:

5 minutes goes by with no instruction. Nothing.

By this time I am a little curious as to what the hell is going on.

My mother is panicking because she can picture me going down in flames

She asks me what floor I live on again – I tell her the 20^th

She pictures the twin towers collapsing, and me free falling 20 floors

A mother never stops worrying

After 5 minutes of this alarm going off:

I hear:

Bong

Tap tap tap

“Attention pl…”

“Allo? Allo?”

“This is secur..”

Bong

“Allo?”

“This is security, the fire..”

(the fire??)

Bong

Bong

“Allo?”

By this time I am rolling my eyes and shaking my head thinking I could do a better job

Bong

“This is security……the…..fire department has been notif…”

Bong

(oh you think I am joking don’t you?)

“Hello, this is security, the fire department is.."

Bong

"on their way.”

Silence

Bong

Some rustling

Then back to the alarm

Alarm is ringing for another 15 minutes

Bong

“Attention please, attention please”

“The fire depart…..”

Silence

Bong

“The fire department is here”

(thank the Lord above – now can one of you please take the mic from this dude?)

Bong

Rustling sounds

“Allo? Allo?”

My mother now says to me: “Jesus, I don’t feel good with you being in the hands of these idiots.”

I can’t say that I blame her.

Usually I hear the sirens approaching when the fire department is called – this time there were no alarms…so I am a little suspicious.

Bong

“Attention please, attention please.”

“The fire department is here, investigating the problem.”

Silence.

(wow, a whole sentence!)

Alarm for another 10 minutes

Bong

“This is secur….”

Bong

“Allo? Allo?” (by this time my mother is imitating the security guard at the EXACT TIME THAT HE IS SAYING this; it was in stereo)

A huge guffaw from me

“Allo?”

“There is no fire”

(Hallelujah!)

Bong

“Just a false…”

Bong

Rustling

And THAT WAS the end of the fire alarm.

Time: 1:30 am

I swear, it was like a Saturday Night Live skit.

The good news is that there was no fire. I think? I assume that the next morning there were several complaints about the ineptness of this security guard. In his defence, they always put the newbies on the overnight shift. Especially the weekend overnight shift.

I finally got to sleep at 2:20 when I hung up from my mom. Slept like a baby knowing that there was no fire in my building and that I wasn't going to free fall 20 floors to my death. I'm sure she did too.

Big City Rules

It never ceases to amaze me about the blatant stupidity of the human race.

There are so many insanely intelligent people out there, but most tend to be social disasters. Put them behind a book or computer and they are brilliant. Yet they can't seem to navigate their way through day-to-day life. It's like they have blinders on.

Here are some examples that have been weighing on me lately:

• We live in Canada. In Canada we do everything on the right. We drive on the right side. We walk on the right side. If you are walking anywhere, you'd better be on the right side. If you are on the left side and I am on the right side and we are walking toward one another….be warned. I WILL slam into you. I WILL NOT move.

• Please, for the love of God, don’t litter. PLEASE.

• Have a sense of self-awareness. In other words, know how your presence affects others. When pushing a buggy in the grocery store, don’t keep it in the middle of the aisle so that someone has to say: “Excuse me. Excuse me. EXCUSE ME!” Other examples? Paying attention to others. If you are walking with friends on the sidewalk and people are approaching, get into single file when passing them. Have your money ready when you are going to pay for something. Have your wallet out and your bank card ready before you get to the ATM. Such simple, simple practices.

When on public transit:

• If you are sitting down and you have a bag, put it on the floor. Or on your lap. Do not put it on the seat beside you when the bus is crowded. I find this one of the most appalling acts on the bus. Are you really that full of gall, or desperate for the need of control, that you will make someone ask you to move it before they will attempt to sit beside you? Unbelievable. Move. Your. Fucking. Bag.

• There are people on the bus with you. You are not home; you are not alone. So when you are picking your nose, or rolling the wax with your fingers that you have just pulled out of your ears, remember this: you are on the bus. We CAN SEE YOU.

• There IS someone driving the bus and streetcar. You ARE allowed to acknowledge them, instead of treating them like they don't exist (doesn't apply to the subway as they are locked away).
  

• Please cover your mouth when you cough. Especially if you have tuberculosis.

• If you are standing and you have a backpack on, take the mothereffer off and place it between your legs, on the floor. If you look like this:

Then it’s pretty safe to say that NO ONE CAN GET PAST YOU to either move to the back of the bus or to exit. If a seat comes available, and you decide to sit down, you know what not to do. If you need a refresher, see five bullet points above.

• If an elderly person, a visibly pregnant woman or a disabled person enters the bus, anyone under the age of 50 should be standing up to give them their seat. Of those people, I expect the people under 20 to get up first. You’d be surprised how many times this doesn’t happen. You’d also be surprised how many times I point at these bastard kids and instruct them to stand up and give their seat to these people. No patience. One evening on my way home from job #2, the subway pulled into Union Station. An elderly couple stepped onto the subway car and it was packed full of Blue Jay fans. No one got up for them. The lady took one stray middle seat and I got up and tapped the man’s shoulder to sit down. He looked at me and said: “I could never take the seat of a lovely lady. I refuse. Please sit back down.” (If I EVER meet a man my age that does something like that I will kidnap him and make him marry me.)

• Take your garbage with you when you leave. Don’t peel an orange and then leave the peels on your seat. You. Lazy. Son. Of. A. Gun.

• If you know that you are going to be sharing the air and space of 100 strangers please do us all a favour and shower. I’m not asking much, just please wash your hair once or twice a week. Otherwise my hound-nose can smell you even if I am in the front of the bus and you are in the back.

• When the doors open, I don’t know…how about letting people exit the vehicle before you plough past them?

I feel better now, thank you.

I feel like most of these points are just common sense, but apparently it's not so common anymore.

Does anyone have any of their own examples of big city stupidity? Please comment.

Viewpoint

I found this article on the CBC website. It's another opinion as to why people choose to have/not have kids. I agree with the whole dating standpoint about delaying marriage and children, and the pool getting slimmer as time goes on. I added the letters at the end because they were just as important (except for the woman that made the decision to delay her choice until she turned 30. She's so old now, Christ.)

DELAYING THE CHOICE
Georgie Binks

A few months ago a friend of mine, who is childless and happy that way, asked me if I regretted having kids. It was a jarring question; of all the choices I have made in my lifetime, having children was definitely the best. (However buying them a dog may have been the worst.)

But it's interesting, now that having children really is a choice (which it wasn't only a few decades ago) how the birth rate has dropped to an all-time low. It was recently reported that Canada's birth rate for 2002 fell to its lowest level since 1921.

No one knows exactly why the birth rate is dropping because everyone has a different reason for not having children or for having smaller families. While certain trends are down, like teen pregnancies and fertility rates for immigrant women, they don't completely explain the drop in the Canadian birth rate.

Certainly, birth control is better than ever and abortion is more accessible than it used to be. But those are simply the means that keep the birth rate low. Are people actually choosing not to have children or are they simply delaying it, and by delaying, are they making a choice without really making a choice?

The average age of first time mothers is up – now standing at 29.5. A third of first time births in 2001 were to women 30 or older – a decade earlier only a fifth of births were to this age group. In 2002, 45 per cent of women aged 30-39 were giving birth. In 1982, that number was 23 per cent. Women are definitely older when they have children these days.

People blame the low birth rate on everything from fears about divorce to having to pay off student loans. Some people, especially children of divorce, might worry about the stability of marriage. But if you are blindly in love, or really want kids, you are likely going to be filled with optimism about it.

I know women who are divorced, struggling to make ends meet and doing the childcare single-handedly, and who would make exactly the same choices again, right down to marrying the same guy, so in love are they with their kids. I know men who would do the same thing.

I think many people simply delay and in doing so have the choice made for them. Perhaps a woman wants to establish herself in her career, hoping that if she has a great job she will have more job security once she has kids. I remember speaking with one news anchor years ago who told me she would like to work her way up to a job like Barbara Frum's and then have children. Ironically, Frum had her children very young and then went on to a wonderful career.

Most women realize that having children has an impact on a woman's career, no matter how great the child care or support of her husband. Women watch as their friends who have babies struggle to work full-time or part-time or choose to throw in the towel for full-time diapers. And so they delay their own decision.

Often they even delay getting married, figuring that once they do the whole baby issue will follow too closely. But in delaying marriage women's options drop as they get older. Finding the perfect mate becomes daunting as the marriage pool becomes leaner and, as time wears on, the choices become fewer and the woman more selective.

With age also comes more difficulties having a healthy baby and also in becoming pregnant. By the time a woman is 40, she has a one in 60 chance of having a child with a chromosomal abnormality. One study shows that 10 per cent of women have ceased to ovulate by the time they reach age 40.

The thing is you never really know how you are going to feel about children until you have them. I have one close friend who has confided to me that if she were to do it again, she would not have children. I knew another woman years ago, who told her husband before she left him that she never felt comfortable with all of the other families in the park. She just never fit into the whole family thing, she said. She has seen her children rarely since the divorce.

Some people who have delayed having children regret that choice. One man in his late 40s confided to me recently, "Our daughter is five now, and we are nuts about her. If we had known how wonderful this all would be, we would have started sooner, but it's really too late to have a second child."

I tell my own kids that I love being a mother and I tell them they'll have to make their own choices. Deciding to have children is similar to jumping into a pool or lake that looks pretty icy. And yes, at first when you jump in it can be a bit of a shock, but once you start swimming the water does, in fact, get warmer – most of the time, though not for everyone. When I chose to be a parent for the first time, I jumped in the pool without looking; the second time I knew exactly what the pool felt like and I was ready to dive back in.

There are those who think women can have it all these days, but women with children know they still make choices along the way. Will they be there to watch the Halloween parade or sitting in a business lunch? Simply because there is so much more freedom, so much to choose from, choosing can be daunting. And by delaying that choice, sometimes the choice is made all by itself. Is it any wonder that the birth rate is going down?

---

LETTERS:

One thing Georgie didn't address in the column is the women who just don't want to have children. Why is it that society always assumes that all women will want children? I've never had the little-girl dream of an extravagant wedding, a princess dress, the house with the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids. I haven't a maternal bone in my body, and I'm certainly not "putting it off". I don't want kids. I'm tired of explaining myself when I state that fact to other women, and always getting the usual condescending reply of "Oh, you'll change your mind dear." I won't, and I have several girlfriends who feel the same way. So, maybe now that women actually have the choice, we just choose not to. Laurie Michaluk | Manitoba

---

Although I respect the opinions and the idealism Georgie Binks brings to the table in her views on feminism, I think I'll swear her column off forever if I have to read one more story based on the information she gets from her "friends" and "acquaintances". Maybe Georgie should get away from asking her 40 something GTA "friends" for insightful information on feminist and other social trends affecting those in their 20's and 30's and instead, ask those who are actually affected by this phenomenon.

Marc Hudon | Fredericton

---

Hi, I am a single mom and I delayed the choice and could not be happier for it. I became the single mom of a wonderful and healthy baby girl on February 23, 2003 and have not regretted it for a moment. Yes it was a daunting decision but like your article points out you just have to jump in and test the waters. I mulled over the question of kids for quite a few years and then hit 30 and said "hey, I'm not getting any younger here, I'm settled into a good job, I have a house and a car and I'm feeling the pull so just do it" so I did and here we are me and my daughter just loving life! I believe I am a better mom from all the experiences I have had thus far in my life and would tell anyone that waiting was the best thing for me. My parents have been a tremendous help (couldn't have done it without you guys!! Love you!) they are like her surrogate parents and treat her like their own. I have had the special opportunity to see how they are with her and hope that I can be as good a parent to her as they are to me. My parents have been revitalized through her and have admitted as much. I am so proud to have been able to have the opportunity to provide them with such a gift. I never thought having such a tremendous responsibility could ever be as fulfilling and gratifying as it has turned out to be. I think that with all the social programs and support out there more women like me will choose to go it alone and love it. Yes it can be a struggle, I have to sacrifice my freedom to a point and go without those little extras every so often and my personal time is limited but in the end when I come home from a hard day at work and sit down with my little person and see how happy and vibrant she is and how happy I am to have her as part of my life I would do it all over again without a second thought. So to all you women out there who's clocks are ticking louder than Big Ben… Don't wait around for mister right because if he's out there he will love you with or without a child, and if he doesn't then he wasn't mister right from the start! JUST GO FOR IT, you are woman, you are strong and you can do it!! S.E. Larsen

Why Do People Have Children?

I have a few single friends left, but not too many.

One single friend of mine is always complaining about children, animals and plants. She says that she likes to shirk all areas of responsibility. Whenever we are in malls, restaurants and pretty much anywhere public, she will turn to me and say "why would people willingly have kids? I don’t understand.”

She asked me to write this entry so here goes:

WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN?

I did an email poll whereby I asked some of my friends as to why they have kids. I asked them to be completely honest. Thank you to all of those who participated.

Here is what they said:

• Family has always been very important to them and they wanted to carry this tradition on

• Gave them a sense of self

• So they can take care of them when they are elderly

• To enjoy and experience being pregnant and giving birth

• To celebrate the relationship between husband and wife

• It’s just what is expected – no real thought was put into it

• It’s a logical consequence of having unprotected sex (said sarcastically of course)

• To continue the family name for the next generation or two

• They truly loved kids and always knew they wanted their own

Some excerpts are below:

I really enjoyed being around kids. I loved their honesty, their silliness and their need to learn. I really enjoy teaching my kids and playing with them. I think they remind us of the good in the world. Now I also must say I don't think anyone really knows what they are getting into when they have children. It’s really tough sometimes, however somehow the good stuff is really good and makes up for the bad stuff.

-----------

Before having my first, I can honestly say I didn't spend much time thinking about having kids. Other people's kids were sometimes cute, sometimes funny, sometimes a total pain in the ass. Being around other people's kids never made me want to have one of my own. Perhaps that's because I was relatively young, I never felt particularly "maternal".

I've heard all the arguments against having kids: people love their independence, love their time alone, they love to travel, spend their money on things for themselves, they don't want the responsibility, they don't really love kids. And seriously, the last thing the world needs is more parents who aren't really "into" parenting. I would never ever talk someone into having a kid.

That said, having a baby is absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to me. The thing that I loved most about having a baby was that it took the pressure off of me to have to focus completely on myself. I love that my life revolves around the care and keeping of someone else. I know that sounds contradictory, but having kids gave me my sense of "self". People think that having kids is a selfless thing, but for me it's totally selfish. It's given me the opportunity to clear away all the bullshit and just see what really matters. Yes, there are frustrating times, and it's a challenge every day. But I can truly say that my life would be a huge gaping void without them.

Lastly, the only time in my life that I have ever felt completely at peace is when I was holding one of my sleeping babies - knowing that I was able to calm them and comfort them to sleep. I don't care what you do - where you go - who you know - ever in your LIFE. There's no feeling in the universe like that, it's my nirvana.

--------------------

I wanted to create a baby with someone that I loved more than anyone – to see what our love could create – to experience the joy (and pain) of giving birth – to feel what it is like to have a life growing inside you – to become a “family” of my own: I was so excited to experience the world – through the eyes of an innocent child...where even the smallest things we take for granted, are fascinating....(In my mind, I’m hearing my youngest scream at me to look at the big truck, or the airplane – or the white fluffy things floating in the wind...) – to start new family traditions, and to continue old ones - to watch them grow, to see what they will become. To see what personality & physical traits they share of mine – to have someone else to love unconditionally – to have someone to take care of & love, to one day have grandchildren of our own (I hope!) that we can spoil & love – and pass back to their parents when we’re tired! That will be fun!!!!

---------------

Always thought it would be one of the most rewarding things I  would
ever do...and it is.

OR..

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT:

Quite honestly, I don’t understand people that have no desire to have children. I don’t think any less of people that feel that way – I just can’t understand how they don’t feel what I do.

----------------------------------

So, people who choose not to have kids. I know many more people who have had this choice made for them, that is, wanted them and couldn't have them. I can't imagine how heartbreaking that is. But that's not what you're asking...

Okay, I actually wrote a big loooong boring story about these friends of ours, close friends - mind you - who have decided not to have kids. I started typing this whole essay about them, and I was trying to figure out what my point is. Then I deleted it all because it all boils down to this: I feel sorry for people who decide not to have kids because they do not know what they are missing. Having children brings a joy to your life that you could never understand until you have one. You can hold a hundred babies, but until you hold your own, you just will not ever understand it. Yes it's challenging, but when is the last time something that was "easy" brought you joy. And don't say "hey winning the lottery would give me joy!!" That's not joy, that's fleeting happiness. Happiness comes and goes, joy is what you carry in your heart. And having a baby opens up a part of your heart that you don't even know is there.

So anyway, this couple we know? They have a lot of money and they now live in New York. Designer clothes, Rolexes, diamonds, exotic vacations all the time. Certainly an enviable lifestyle by anyone's standards. But I look at her, and I just think: how lonely. All her beautiful things are just things. Do I envy her Cartier watch? Damn straight. But she doesn't have Clara.*

* names have been changed to protect the anonymity of this commenter


----------------------------
If people choose not to have kids because of environmental reasons, inheritable diseases, being single, etc. I have great respect for that. What I don't get is when people get married and choose not to have kids. I just think...Why get married??? Call me old-fashioned but I believe the whole purpose of getting married is to legitimize your offspring. You can co-habitate and decide not to have children but then why bother to get married?
----------------------------


Depends on the day :) When the kids are crazy I totally envy them. Seriously though I take it as a decision based on career, personal freedom or love of control and order in their lives. However I often think that people who decide not to have kids tend to focus on all the bad stuff (that being a parent entails). Just as you can't possible prepare yourself for how tough it can be to raise kids, on the flip side you can't prepare yourself for the amount of love.


I am happy to have presented both sides of the argument.

I don't think that this is going to persuade this friend to have kids, but I think it may help her understand why others think differently than she does.

As well, I think I had to remove umpteen incidences in these emails that had the following in brackets: (this is going to sound gay) or (this sounds totally cheesy).

Don't feel embarrassed to feel what you do. After all, we're all God's children and we are a beautiful gift to the world (ok, that was just gay).

Quiznos

This entry is dedicated to Muireann (pronounced Mirren). Muireann has an awesome blog called Bangs and a Bun (shameless promotion for a friend).

Here is the snippet:

- I'm so hungry. Eating my left hand and having my pinky toes for dessert is more appealing to me than a sandwich from Quiznos, which is all they seem to have in this airport.

The above post of hers consisted of her cutting down Quiznos..... and I couldn’t imagine anyone else hating such a delicious, mouth watering, establishment. Upon discussing this with her, I realized that she has never tried the restaurant, but has somehow formulated a negative opinion about it. She has asked me to create a posting to “sell” Quiznos to her.

Here goes:

Why Muireann Should Give Quiznos a Chance…..by Merdypops

First off, you haven’t been there yet! Why would you be so resistant to sampling their cuisine (not that subs could be considered “cuisine”) when you have no reason to assume they have crap food? Recently I introduced you to Swiss Chalet....I gave you the complete lowdown on the place and told you that you would love it….but that you would either hate or love the sauce. Luckily, you ended up loving the sauce. This actually adds to the case that I am building....if you love the sauce and you love Swiss Chalet, you couldn’t hate Quiznos. You just couldn’t.

Subway and Mr. Sub: I find Subway the worst of all sub places. Their tuna, meats and cheeses are so bland, unless you season it up with pepper and sauces.





<--a Subway sandwich [snore]






Mr. Sub is much, much better. They have excellent tuna, good flavourful meat, and have scentless restaurants. The worst part of Subway is the smell you are hit with when you walk through those front doors. The meat on a Quiznos sub is overflowing. The meat on a Subway sub is chintzy and tasteless. Did I mention Subway is tasteless? Now, although I find Quiznos the best of all subway places…I also know that I cannot frequent it too often. It’s almost a treat to me. It’s soooo good that to wear it out would be a shame. I recall once when my dad brought home a case of 893891830131 Oreo cookies (donation to his work). I swear I ate every effing cookie and I haven't been able to stand the sight of an Oreo since. I wouldn't want to do that to Quiznos.



<---A Mr. Sub sub. Getting better. You know how sub places will ask you if you want your sub toasted? This is a fairly recent trend that most sub places have adopted, but I recall Quiznos being the first establishment to offer such a service. All of their subs are toasted by default- if you want it untoasted you must request it. Even the tuna tastes good toasted; resembles a tuna melt. Mmmm. Now I will admit that when they first started out, they would sometimes toast the bread TOO much and it would chafe the roof of your mouth. They perfected it soon afterward, thankfully.

I believe that Quiznos may be a little more expensive (a dollar maybe) but MAN, is it worth it. I find that I need to have the 12 inch Subway sub to fill me up, but the 6 inch Mr. Sub or Quizno sub fills me up just fine. Did I mention that Subway is tasteless?

If you DO try Quiznos one day, please try either the tuna, honey mustard chicken or mesquite-ish type of sub. You will not be disappointed. Just check out this menu! They have thought of everything. Not just the tasteless assorted, veggie or turkey sandwich that Subway makes. Oh, did I mention they are tasteless?

For all of you readers out there... please tell me your preference: Subway, Mr, Sub or Quiznos?



<----A Quiznos Sub. There really is NO comparison.









So in conclusion, I think I have the upper hand here. Muireann, you have not tried the sub to be qualified to cut it up - pun intended. Once you have tried one, please feel free to comment about the state of it's wonderfulness. It's captivating nature. It's mouth-watering awesomeness.

I think I may have an eating disorder. I derive waaaay too much pleasure from food.
(oh and Subway subs are tasteless)

Pink Is Just a Color.....

My friend Suzanne from Calgary (well she moved away too) sent this to me tonight. Her friend is the singer and created the video to go along with it. Very beautiful!

DATING WOES...PULL UP A CHAIR..........

This entry is dedicated to my sister, Ralston. Ralbot. Rally-Roo. Okay, Laurelle. She suggested I blog about the dating scene, probably because I always shut down when she asks me about it. Frustration takes over and I don't know where to begin.

Ahem.

I’m 36, and single. In fact, I’ve been single for most of my adult life. Between the ages of 18 and 30, I have no one to blame but myself for being unhitched. For the years from 30-36, I blame the ever-changing world, and the flightiness of the male breed.

Allow me to explain.

When I was young, this is how it worked……

Friend came to you, and told you that so-and-so was interested in you. You told them you were interested too. You were all jittery and excited inside. You give permission for them to give so-and-so your phone number. They called. You went out. You made an honest effort to give each other time to get to know one another. Most likely, you dated for at least 3 months.

OR

You went to a club. You saw a cute person. You made eye contact. Someone made a move and you got to talking and exchanged phone numbers. They called. You went out. You made an honest effort to give each other time to get to know one another. Most likely, you dated for at least 3 months.

OR

You met someone at school, at your part-time job, etc. This was the easy way. You dated and enjoyed yourself.


Fast forward 5-10 years.

Once I turned about 28-29, it was time to start making more of an honest effort to meet people, since I hadn’t really given dating a chance, nor was it a priority in my life. By this time I was in a new city, with only two local friends.

I decided to give this online dating thing a chance. Mind you, online dating back then had a negative connotation associated with it. It was for the desperate people....

The first two years actually panned out quite well. Online dating was a new concept, and people were utilizing it for the right reason. TO MEET SOMEONE.

It worked like this:

Man contacted me, or I contacted him. We chatted for a few days. Made a date to meet. Showed up that day, and he actually showed up too. We make an honest effort to give each other a fighting chance.

Online dating in the last 5 years:

* I wasted umpteen credits and money contacting men who couldn’t even show me the consideration to email me back to say they are not interested (obviously on the basis of looks only, since they have never conversed with me).

* Once you actually pull teeth to meet, that same fucking person emails you seconds before you are supposed to meet saying that ”something came up”. AKA, something/someone better messaged them/showed interest/came along.

* You meet, and the person sitting in front of you is NOT the same person that you saw in the pictures on their profile. One guy I met for a date uploaded a picture that was from when he was 23, not 34. Full head of hair in photo. Bald in real life (which doesn't bug me, but the false representation does). This same guy talked about fishing for the whole date. Seriously. Fucking fishing. Men also tend to post their height as being an inch and a half to two inches taller than they really are. This can cause some issues when I am 5”8. If they say they are 5”8 and I am the same height..and they show up and they are really 5”6, it sucks to be me.

* You actually meet the person and you are totally into him. You think he’s totally into you. BUT, because you can both be chatting with 5+ people at any given time, he feels that there is something bigger and better out there, so you never hear from him again.

* They look wonderful on paper. Seem to have their shit together. Good job, independent, and seem great. You meet them in person and you are surprised that they were able to tie their shoes by themselves. A total and complete social disaster.

* You get the freak that chats with you for 2 minutes online and then abruptly asks you if you want to fuck. Yes, you heard me. All manners go out the window when they are sitting behind a monitor. This is probably the dude that is married and his wife is at her mom's house for the weekend with the kids.

* Most dating sites don't MAKE both parties pay to make contact. This means that one of the two people is just on there for shits and giggles, and not to seriously meet someone. Some sites are better (eharmony) but they send you matches of men that haven’t paid, and you are not able to tell the paying customers from the non- paying customers. You make contact and when you don’t get any response, you’re not sure if they want you to FOAD or whether they never paid to make contact. It’s all a big fucking marketing ploy. They are hoping that once they actually match you, you’ll pay at that point. The problem is that these guys never actually intended to pay because they are cheap fucking asses.

* Dickwad is only on the dating sites to boost his ego. He uploads a picture of him with no shirt (probably when he was 20 and buff) and waits for all of the smiles and emails to swarm in. He never actually meets anyone because he is now balding and fat and just wants the thrill of the chase.

* Dude is so busy that he doesn't make time for even the first date, which makes you wonder - how often would I see him if we were actually dating?

I just realized that my bitterness increased with each bullet point.

My biggest problem overall though, is that once I start to date someone, I feel like they are merely going through the motions. I never feel like they actually adore me, for they didn’t woo me to begin with. I have a pulse and that’s good enough for them. Birthdays, special days come and go and there is no mention of anything romantic. I am not an overly romantic girl, but I DO like it when someone is smitten with me, and is not afraid to show it.

I understand that men have a hard time knowing what is appropriate in this day and age, as women are becoming even more independent than men. They don’t know what their role is in a relationship/marriage, especially if they are not the bread winner or are physically less agile than the woman. I get that.

But please.
Step up to the plate.
Woo a woman.
Call her when you say you will.
Cut out all of the fucking games about when to call and all that shit.
We are much too old to contend with this anymore.
We just want a man that will show up when he says he will.
He’ll remain thoughtful.
He’ll carry your groceries, open your car door and hold your hand in public.
He will tell you that you look pretty when you do.
He’ll make an effort to smell nice for you.
He will pay for you, every once in a while, with no expectations.
He will respect you.

Such simple things, yet no one can fulfill these traits. Actually, I can summarize it all into one word.

Women want a man that is chivalrous. Case closed.

All mothers out there – you need to instill this trait in your sons. They are a dying breed.

I have spoken to many married friends about this next issue:

I ask them if they still feel a “spark” with their husbands. A few of them say yes, but the majority tells me that this spark subsides a year or two into the relationship. That person then becomes/turns into their best friend. So the urge to jump their mate’s bones is completely gone. However, they can’t wait to see their husband/wife at the end of the day. They still really enjoy each other’s company.

So, if this is what most of us are looking for…this infamous ‘spark”, and it goes away anyhow, why not get into a relationship with someone that you truly enjoy but aren't attracted to, versus someone who is a dolt but is hot?

I have to admit that now I am older and cynical and I’m not even sure that I want a mate anymore. I look around and see all of these miserable marriages, or divorces. Marriage isn’t for life anymore. Why would you bother? We’re in such a selfish world now that as soon as something doesn’t go their own way, they bail. Screw you! I’m outta here! AND, I will take the kids and be a total bitch to you because I can. I will use my kids against you because I am power hungry and will do anything to win (Dr. Phil calls this "right fighting", lol). I can’t deal with how the world has changed in this regard. It’s plain sad. And then the world wonders why kids are so screwed up nowadays. These are usually the people that were in love with getting married, not in love with the person they were marrying.

However, when I look around and see the one or two friends that have a beautiful marriage, with a completely equal partnership, it makes me want to make an effort.

Maybe one day.

Until then, I will buy my frozen TV dinners, order in chinese when I get lazy, wake up when I want to, go to bed when I want to, and visit with friend’s kids..but then leave when they start to annoy me.

Actually, single hood sounds quite enticing when I put it that way.

What was I thinking?

Old Age

My mother sent me this email today. I thought it was beautiful, so I thought I would share it with you all.

“The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body .. the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken back by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don’t agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I’ve aged, I’ve become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend. I don’t chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn’t need, but looks so avantegarde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 a.m, and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60’s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love … I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten … and I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. I can say “no”, and mean it. I can say “yes”, and mean it.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.”

Viewer's Choice

I don't really know what to blog about....so I am leaving it to my viewers.

Either pose me a question, personal or otherwise...or give me a topic and I will compose an entry dedicated to you.