I like to think of myself as one of those live-and-let-live types (my husband probably disagrees), but today I went out of my way to report someone who wasn’t doing their job properly. Here’s what happened:
On Friday night, a friend and I went for a walk by the beach. As we were making our way home, we saw a man with several stacks of the local newspaper – The Peach Arch News – in a baby stroller (obviously, his means of delivering them). I didn’t think much of it since the local paper is published on Sundays, Wednesday and Fridays. In fact, I went over to him to ask if he had an extra copy of the paper, since the delivery of it to our home is unreliable, and I covet the Friday edition for its grocery store flyers.
Anyhow, after the man gave me a copy of the paper, my friend and I walked away, but also started to look at him a bit more closely. He was stopped by a large garbage can (the kind they have in public parks) and was cutting the bundle strap on each bundle of papers and was stuffing the papers into the garbage can. When one garbage can was full, he would push his stroller another 20 metres to the next garbage can and cram that can full of papers.
As we kept walking, what this guy was doing started to bug us on so many levels. First of all, it's dishonest. The newspaper publisher is paying this person to deliver the paper to a certain set of houses, and he’s not doing that. Secondly, it's wasteful. He was stuffing the newspapers into the garbage can, so they weren’t even being recycled. And finally, I’m one of those people who look forward to my local newspaper, and if this guy were my carrier (he’s not), I would be pretty pissed at what was happening to the paper which I wanted to read.
So this morning, I snitched on the guy. I called the circulation desk of the local paper, and left a message with my story, along with my name and number in case they wanted more details. I didn’t feel great about ratting out the guy (OK, maybe I felt just a little great), but I know if I hadn’t done this, it would have annoyed me every time I went to look on my doorstep for the local newspaper and it wasn’t there, and I would have wished I reported this guy when I had the chance.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A Rose By Any Other Name...
As I was sitting in front of the TV tonight, eating a bowl of ice cream and watching The Biggest Loser, I got to thinking about running and pasta (two important themes in weight-loss!). In particular, I got to thinking about how the names of these things have changed over time. Remember when people used to go jogging? Well, now you go running (I'm actually a runner and, trust me, no one goes jogging anymore). What about when pasta used to be noodles? And have you noticed that people don't talk about their car anymore, but their vehicle?
It's not the like the actual item changes, just what we call it changes. I have no sociological opinion on why this happens, but I just think it's interesting. Can you think of other items that used to be called one thing in, say, your childhood and now have a different name?
It's not the like the actual item changes, just what we call it changes. I have no sociological opinion on why this happens, but I just think it's interesting. Can you think of other items that used to be called one thing in, say, your childhood and now have a different name?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Blindsided
I've been around a while and, through sheer volume of life experiences, have come to expect the unexpected and am usually prepared for most things. This past week, however, I was blindsided by some unforeseen news.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, our oldest daughter has epilepsy as well as a few other health concerns (by the way, the rash turned out to be nothing and she is still able to take her anti-seizure medication). Anyhow, about 2 years ago I noticed that when she bent over, one side of her back seemed uneven with the other side. I went to our family doctor about this, and asked if we could be referred an orthopedic specialist. A few months later (yes, months, this is the Canadian health care system after all), we got a call from the specialist asking that we get x-rays. We got the x-rays taken in February 2009, but they were sent to our doctor's office instead of to the specialist. I finally tracked them down and long story short, when I called the specialist's office later in the Spring, they informed me that they had had a look at the x-rays and would book us in for an appointment next year. I asked the receptionist,"Next year as in 2010?" "Yes, 2010." I took that to mean that our daughter's situation wasn't that dire and that we would be seen for a routine check up in due course.
Fast forward to March 2010. We finally saw the orthopedic specialist at the Children's Hospital this past Tuesday. Right after we got checked in with the orthopedic department, they sent us for another set of back x-rays. Then we were in the small examining room waiting for the doctor. The first six words out of his mouth were: "She's going to need back surgery." OK, I am exaggerating here. He talked for about 3-4 minutes about scoliosis and how physiotherapy and back braces didn't really work, but the only part I remember is : "She's going to need back surgery." Totally did not see that coming.
My jaw was probably still hanging open when he explained that the x-rays from last year showed a 41% curve in her spine, and the x-rays from that morning showed a 56% curvature, and at this rate we needed to do something fairly quickly. He also said that puberty tends to cause most cases of scoliosis to get worse, and since she was only 9 years old, the worst was yet to come. The titanium rod that they would insert in her back during the surgery would correct the current curve as best it could, and prevent any further curving.
The doctor put us on the waiting list for surgery, which was 1 1/2 years long, and we need to see him again in 6 months to get updated x-rays and check on her situation. So, I guess the good news is that we've got a year and a half to prepare ourselves for the surgery, and I'm sure I'll have a long list of questions for the doctor when we see him again in 6 months.
I was pretty bummed out about this news on the day that we had the appointment, but am getting used to it. As my husband said (looking on the bright side, as he often does), at least this is a defined problem with a straightforward solution. The treatment that has been proposed for so many of our daughter's other health issues are wait-and-see or let's-try-this, so at least this situation is a little more cut and dry. Still, it's one more thing on our plate and one more thing she has to go through. Compared to many kids her age, she's had a tough go of it. But to her credit, she is a real trouper and I'm sure she will take this all in stride, too. I just need to follow her example...
As I mentioned in an earlier post, our oldest daughter has epilepsy as well as a few other health concerns (by the way, the rash turned out to be nothing and she is still able to take her anti-seizure medication). Anyhow, about 2 years ago I noticed that when she bent over, one side of her back seemed uneven with the other side. I went to our family doctor about this, and asked if we could be referred an orthopedic specialist. A few months later (yes, months, this is the Canadian health care system after all), we got a call from the specialist asking that we get x-rays. We got the x-rays taken in February 2009, but they were sent to our doctor's office instead of to the specialist. I finally tracked them down and long story short, when I called the specialist's office later in the Spring, they informed me that they had had a look at the x-rays and would book us in for an appointment next year. I asked the receptionist,"Next year as in 2010?" "Yes, 2010." I took that to mean that our daughter's situation wasn't that dire and that we would be seen for a routine check up in due course.
Fast forward to March 2010. We finally saw the orthopedic specialist at the Children's Hospital this past Tuesday. Right after we got checked in with the orthopedic department, they sent us for another set of back x-rays. Then we were in the small examining room waiting for the doctor. The first six words out of his mouth were: "She's going to need back surgery." OK, I am exaggerating here. He talked for about 3-4 minutes about scoliosis and how physiotherapy and back braces didn't really work, but the only part I remember is : "She's going to need back surgery." Totally did not see that coming.
My jaw was probably still hanging open when he explained that the x-rays from last year showed a 41% curve in her spine, and the x-rays from that morning showed a 56% curvature, and at this rate we needed to do something fairly quickly. He also said that puberty tends to cause most cases of scoliosis to get worse, and since she was only 9 years old, the worst was yet to come. The titanium rod that they would insert in her back during the surgery would correct the current curve as best it could, and prevent any further curving.
The doctor put us on the waiting list for surgery, which was 1 1/2 years long, and we need to see him again in 6 months to get updated x-rays and check on her situation. So, I guess the good news is that we've got a year and a half to prepare ourselves for the surgery, and I'm sure I'll have a long list of questions for the doctor when we see him again in 6 months.
I was pretty bummed out about this news on the day that we had the appointment, but am getting used to it. As my husband said (looking on the bright side, as he often does), at least this is a defined problem with a straightforward solution. The treatment that has been proposed for so many of our daughter's other health issues are wait-and-see or let's-try-this, so at least this situation is a little more cut and dry. Still, it's one more thing on our plate and one more thing she has to go through. Compared to many kids her age, she's had a tough go of it. But to her credit, she is a real trouper and I'm sure she will take this all in stride, too. I just need to follow her example...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
A Big Dose of Inspiration on the Small Screen
Like most Vancouverites, I'm still faintly aglow from the Olympic spectacle and overwhelming public spirit that overtook our city a few weeks ago. However, last night as I watched the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games opening ceremony on TV, I was moved by the individual spirit and joy of each athlete that entered the BC Place stadium.
Competing in a sport is hard enough, but try doing that when you are missing an arm or a leg, or both. Through determination and perseverance, these athletes have overcome physical adversity to do many things that able-bodied people can't, or don't even try to do.
There's a lesson for all of us in their example. Even if you don't have any physical disability, all of us have experienced hardship in some form or other in our lives. Maybe it's illness, maybe it's job-related, maybe it's about family and loved ones, maybe it's about your relationships. Whatever your unique misfortune is, these athletes have shown us -- have reminded me -- that with a positive attitude and hard work, almost anything is possible. We don't need to wallow in our situation, we have the ability to do something about it. Be inspired by the courage of others who have overcome difficult circumstances, and make the best of each day.
So here's looking forward to another week of watching amazing performances by not only physically, but also emotionally inspiring athletes.
Competing in a sport is hard enough, but try doing that when you are missing an arm or a leg, or both. Through determination and perseverance, these athletes have overcome physical adversity to do many things that able-bodied people can't, or don't even try to do.
There's a lesson for all of us in their example. Even if you don't have any physical disability, all of us have experienced hardship in some form or other in our lives. Maybe it's illness, maybe it's job-related, maybe it's about family and loved ones, maybe it's about your relationships. Whatever your unique misfortune is, these athletes have shown us -- have reminded me -- that with a positive attitude and hard work, almost anything is possible. We don't need to wallow in our situation, we have the ability to do something about it. Be inspired by the courage of others who have overcome difficult circumstances, and make the best of each day.
So here's looking forward to another week of watching amazing performances by not only physically, but also emotionally inspiring athletes.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The 3 C's of Sustainability: Create, Consume, Cash-In
What's the first commandment of that eco-savvy citizen's pledge Reduce, Reuse and Recycle? It's Reduce, right? It always amazes me then, that there are plenty of successful businesses that sell eco-friendly stuff... stuff that you almost always don't need. Where's the Reduce in that?
We live in a consumer-driven society and that fact is inherently at odds with being sustainable. How can producing, packaging, shipping and selling something, and then casting aside the old (presumably non-green) something be good for the planet? In what bizarre frame of logic can we consume our way to being green? Perhaps the collective consciousness doesn't even question our consumer lifestyle, and figures if you are going to consume, we might as well make it green. Or maybe we realize that consumerism is bad, but instead of living with less, we can assuage our guilt by at least buying something that is green.
If you're wondering what started me on this rant, it was a 2/3 page article in the Style section of our daily Vancouver Sun newspaper which featured a local online company that was doing a booming business by selling eco-friendly products. "We focus on unique, contemporary products that look good... they just happen to be good for the planet, too," the owner is quoted as saying. Of course, like the "circular recycled steel container that has everything needed to grow four different types of chocolate-coloured flowers, including organic seeds, wooden stakes and growing instructions" for $17. Would a paper envelope of wildflower seeds from your local garden shop for 79 cents not be less resource intensive, and still give you nice flowers to look at?
What we need -- along with the reusable sandwich wrap and natural soy crayons -- is an attitude adjustment when it comes to what we really need. Is living with less such a high price to pay for a sustainable planet?
We live in a consumer-driven society and that fact is inherently at odds with being sustainable. How can producing, packaging, shipping and selling something, and then casting aside the old (presumably non-green) something be good for the planet? In what bizarre frame of logic can we consume our way to being green? Perhaps the collective consciousness doesn't even question our consumer lifestyle, and figures if you are going to consume, we might as well make it green. Or maybe we realize that consumerism is bad, but instead of living with less, we can assuage our guilt by at least buying something that is green.
If you're wondering what started me on this rant, it was a 2/3 page article in the Style section of our daily Vancouver Sun newspaper which featured a local online company that was doing a booming business by selling eco-friendly products. "We focus on unique, contemporary products that look good... they just happen to be good for the planet, too," the owner is quoted as saying. Of course, like the "circular recycled steel container that has everything needed to grow four different types of chocolate-coloured flowers, including organic seeds, wooden stakes and growing instructions" for $17. Would a paper envelope of wildflower seeds from your local garden shop for 79 cents not be less resource intensive, and still give you nice flowers to look at?
What we need -- along with the reusable sandwich wrap and natural soy crayons -- is an attitude adjustment when it comes to what we really need. Is living with less such a high price to pay for a sustainable planet?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A rash of bad luck
Hardly 48 hours into my 'look on the gr8t side of life' blog launch and already I've encountered a major challenge. Our oldest daughter, who is nine, has epilepsy. Since her birth, we've been trying to control her seizures with medication, diet and have even considered a few therapies that fall on the far side of alternative (hyperbaric oxygen therapy, anyone?). About nine months ago, we began a new medication that showed great promise. The only hitch was that we had to be very vigilant to make sure she did not develop a rash, as this is a sometimes fatal side effect of the medication, Lamotrigine. She had actually tried this medication when she was about five years old, developed a rash within the first week and had to come off of it immediately. This time around, we began with really low doses of the medication last summer, and ever so slowly increased them to give her body a chance to get used to it. She has been doing very well on the medication and we are almost up to our recommended dose now.
You know what's coming next, right? This morning as she was getting dressed, I noticed some spots on her leg. I called my husband over and we discovered that she had spots all over her right leg. Not good. He took her to Children's Hospital (the only place we take her because of her complicated medical history, plus they have a neurologist on call -- and did I mention it was Sunday?). Anyhow, it was a tense couple of hours as they did blood and urine tests to try and figure out if the rash was caused by the medication or not. If it was the medication, we'd have to stop cold turkey, and we were worried about what would happen with her seizures AND if we could even find another medication that would be as effective. We've been on half a dozen medications over the last 9 years, and this has been the best one, so you can understand how much was at stake. Luckily, the tests indicated that the rash was not caused by the medication. We have a follow-up appointment with a dermatologist tomorrow or the next day to find out what it could be -- hopefully something 'normal' like chickenpox!
We're so thankful that this rash turned out not to be caused by the medication, but it really does put in to perspective how tenuous life can be when you've got a child with health concerns. It could have easily gone the other way, and we'd be stressed out this very minute about how were going to find another treatment that was as effective for her. I guess, though, we would have just dealt with that if it happened. It brings to mind this great sports quote (and I have no idea who said it): "In life, you can't choose what position you play, but you can choose how you play it."
You know what's coming next, right? This morning as she was getting dressed, I noticed some spots on her leg. I called my husband over and we discovered that she had spots all over her right leg. Not good. He took her to Children's Hospital (the only place we take her because of her complicated medical history, plus they have a neurologist on call -- and did I mention it was Sunday?). Anyhow, it was a tense couple of hours as they did blood and urine tests to try and figure out if the rash was caused by the medication or not. If it was the medication, we'd have to stop cold turkey, and we were worried about what would happen with her seizures AND if we could even find another medication that would be as effective. We've been on half a dozen medications over the last 9 years, and this has been the best one, so you can understand how much was at stake. Luckily, the tests indicated that the rash was not caused by the medication. We have a follow-up appointment with a dermatologist tomorrow or the next day to find out what it could be -- hopefully something 'normal' like chickenpox!
We're so thankful that this rash turned out not to be caused by the medication, but it really does put in to perspective how tenuous life can be when you've got a child with health concerns. It could have easily gone the other way, and we'd be stressed out this very minute about how were going to find another treatment that was as effective for her. I guess, though, we would have just dealt with that if it happened. It brings to mind this great sports quote (and I have no idea who said it): "In life, you can't choose what position you play, but you can choose how you play it."
Friday, March 5, 2010
Another gr8t day gets off to a rocky start...
Whew... well, that was utterly painful. In my quest to start my own blog, I was sidelined to the point of almost quitting by having to choose a 'unique' blog/user name. I guess that's what happens when you come late to the party. It is 2010 after all. I'm sure if I had started my blog in, say, 2005 I could have had my preferred name: HerSoapbox.blogspot.com
Oh well, I chose anothergr8tday (and I had to get creative with the '8' since 'great' spelled the normal way was already taken) because I'm truly trying to look at life in a positive way. Although small things and yes, sometimes big things too, might not go my way, each day is really a blessing and should be valued for that. Glass half-full. Look on the bright side. Attitude of gratitude. (Sorry, don't mean to get all Oprah).
Anyhow, let's see how this goes...
Oh well, I chose anothergr8tday (and I had to get creative with the '8' since 'great' spelled the normal way was already taken) because I'm truly trying to look at life in a positive way. Although small things and yes, sometimes big things too, might not go my way, each day is really a blessing and should be valued for that. Glass half-full. Look on the bright side. Attitude of gratitude. (Sorry, don't mean to get all Oprah).
Anyhow, let's see how this goes...
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