What's in a Name?

How many of us struggle to be content with our lives - it is easy for the seeds of discontent to be nourished by our ingratitude, selfishness and consistent desire for more out of life.

I've been reading a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The premise of the book is to live your life full of joy, thanksgiving and grace by making yourself aware of all the gifts and blessings in your life. It is one thing to know you are blessed - it is another to make a habit of consistently naming each gift that blesses your life. Why is it important to name those moments of wonder? Quoting Alexander Schmemann, Voskamp writes:

"Now, in the Bible a name...reveals the very essence of a thing, or rather its essence as God's gift...To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God and to know its place and function within the cosmos created by God. To name a thing, in other words, is to bless God for it and in it."

She goes on to say:

"In naming that which is right before me, that which I'd otherwise miss, the invisible becomes visible. The space that spans my inner emptiness fills in the naming. I name. And I know the face I face. God's! God is in the details; God is in the moment. God is in all the blurs by in life - even hurts in life."

The gifts of our life are all around us. Do we live our lives with enough gratitude to God to notice his hand in both grandeur and simplicity? Start by naming each blessing in your life.

visit www.aholyexperience.com or www.onethousandgifts.com

The Married Cook

Hello again friends. Before I begin, I will give you a few moments to blow off the metaphorical dust off of these metaphorical pages. Since it has been nearly a year since I last enlightened you all with an update of my always interesting life, I am sure you are dying to know what life changing events have occurred while my blog was left to languish in the oblivion of cyberspace. Well, I can say with confidence that the most dramatic change in my life has been the sudden imposition of the obligation of cooking. No one informed me that once I got married and moved out of the house, I would actually have to work to make food. All these years I assumed that supper magically appeared on the table with minimal effort. Isn't that how it is supposed to work, Mom? Lacking these magic skills, I have been forced to venture into the grocery aisles, purchase the food, and on top of that, prepare the food. Revolutionary. Thankfully, God provided me with a wonderfully supportive husband to ease this burden and help me navigate this foreign territory.

We managed our first trip to the grocery store quite successfully but then came the thinking part. What to cook? Like true born and fed Dutchies, we found ourselves instinctively making a hearty meal of meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes....familiar, comforting, potentially bland, but still delicious. Cooking together turned out to be a grand time in our tiny little kitchen and we turned our sense of trepidation into a search for adventure. Jordan and I were both aware that falling into a regular meat and potato routine would inhibit our newfound feelings of adventure and we thus decided to institute a weekly "Recipe Night" where we would take turns picking out interesting recipes and cooking them together.

The first week was Jordan's turn to pick, and after scouring the plethora of cook books we received as wedding gifts, he came up with the following menu:

Rhubarb Glazed Pork

Vegetable Risotto

Orange Glazed Beets

While none of the ingredients for the recipes were too off the wall, they were put together in combinations that we, as newbie cooks, would never have imagined putting together. The meal tasted fantastic and we learned a few things along the way: 1) Don't cook Risotto unless you have great endurance and strong wrists (Jordan has both, so it turned out great!), 2) Boil beets right away because they take a really loooong time to cook and 3)Beets are best in moderation.

This week was my turn to cook and after tasting Nepalese food from Jordan's colleague, I was inspired to incorporate curry into my selection. I also was interested in finding a recipe with quinoa (sounds like keen-wa) after hearing about the greatness of the grainy substance on the radio. Abandoning the cook books, I hit up the world wide web and searched for curry quinoa and found a recipe for Red Lentil Curry on a bed of quinoa. So we set out to make this dish, loading it with a TON of vegetables and spices for some healthy (and vegetarian) goodness. The end product didn't look the greatest and made the house smell like curry, but it was a fantastic new discovery. Lessons learned from this meal: 1)Quinoa is expensive so don't buy it at Nutter's, 2) Lentils are cheap in bulk and they taste really good, and 3) Vegetarians have good ideas for creating interesting meals.

So there you have it. I am making progress and deciding to enjoy the new endeavour of cooking. After all, I LOVE eating, so I might as well learn to love the process of creating. If you have any ideas for recipes for Jordan and I to try, just let us know!

Commercial Degredation

I don't know about the rest of you, but sometimes I like to waste time by watching TV. I kind of like TV although I know its not the most productive use of my time. I usually don't mind the commercials either, unless they involve an old lady saying "Enterprise rent a car? Sounds Expensive!" However, last week I came across some commercials for Reebok Easy Tone Shoes and I decided I didn't like them either, but for very different reasons. Here are three of them...I will let you judge for yourself.







Something to think about: YouTube requires you to be 18 years of age to watch these videos, but they are on TV for anyone to see.

You are probably from Lethbridge if...

This is for all past and present residents of Lethbridge.

You are probably from Lethbridge if....

1. You know what it is like to wake up to -5 degree weather but enjoy a +20 degree day
2. You know what a coulee is...but still find it difficult to explain
3. You know that a Tarleck Tub has nothing to do with bathing
4. You know what a Hutterite is and see at least one every Thursday
5. You don't find it unusual to see more Mormon churches than Tim Horton's in a city
6. You think that bad traffic means getting home in 20 minutes instead of 10
7. You think that it's funny to tell people you are a Lethbian
8. You know exactly what a farm smells like even though you have never lived on one
9. When you say you are going to the mall, everyone knows what mall you are talking about
10. When you go to that mall, you always see someone you know
11. You hate, despise, and curse the wind with every bone in your body
12. You don't think Whoop Up Drive is an odd name for a road

If anyone of you is a Lethbian, feel free to add more to the list!

Sanitation Explanation

Last week I saw someone fist pump a person they were meeting for the first time. While it may be premature to predict the death of the handshake, it is a sure sign of the times. Or just a sign of flu season. While flu season doesn't usually hit until October, many people prepare for its coming in advance. Usually I am ignorant of these preparations but the whole H1N1 thing you may have heard of is a little difficult to escape. My friends living in caves and under rocks have even heard the news and have decided to stay in their caves and under their rocks.

The reality of the pandemic concerns first hit me on my first day of school this year. The University of Lethbridge installed hundreds and hundreds of hand sanitizer stations. You can probably only go twenty feet in the halls without seeing another one of these little things hanging off the walls or standing at the bottom of a staircase. Now because variety is the spice of life, the university has installed two different kinds of sanitizers. Based on my personal experience, not all hand sanitizers are created equal. While I am sure that they are all effective in killing the evil H1N1 germs on our hands, we all know that is not what is important in selecting a sanitizer.

Sanitizer basically comes in two types: gel or foam. While gel has certain advantages, such as drying faster, it generally just doesn't smell as nice. It carries a distinctive alcohol smell so I guess on the plus side you know you smell really clean. Foam on the other hand seems to come in a variety of smells. My personal favourite is Bath and Body's Warm Vanilla Sugar. I would equate it to Christmas on your hands. Another upside of foam is that it seems to be more likely to come in automatic dispensers. Very convenient for those of us to lazy to give that little push. On the downside, one website warns that scented sanitizers can be tempting to taste. They recommend not giving into that temptation. Apparently, sanitizers can be poisonous if ingested and I don't think people dying is congruent with the aims of the H1N1 campaign.

Personally I am a little obsessive about using the hand sanitizer. I think my hands are permanently cracked and dry from alcohol absorption. At this rate, the likelihood of me contracting alcohol poisoning exceeds that of coming down with H1N1. Based on a scientific study of myself, I would say that sanitizer is 100% effective in preventing infection.

Now for a completely random aside.

Interesting fact (if you are a history nerd): In war statistics, did you know there is a difference between the number of casualties and the number of war dead? Casualties are the number of dead and injured while war dead is pretty self explanatory. Every time someone gets injured, it counts as another casualty. So if someone loses a leg at one time, and an arm at another time, and then dies in battle, they count for three casualties and one war dead.

I just knew you were all dying to know that. A good conversation starter perhaps?

Environmentalists Beware

If my life is ever made into a movie, and I am sure it will be once I am famous, the part depicting the fourth year of my university career will need to have some kind of warning screen. I imagine it will read something like this:

WARNING: The following program may be unsuitable for all audiences, especially if you are a tree hugger, David Suzuki or Greenpeace. Many trees were harmed in the production of this semester...well not just harmed...completely and utterly destroyed. Sorry for contributing to global warming, melting the ice caps and ultimately destroying the planet.

So basically my semester can be summarized in one word: papers. I think 20 papers to be exact....totaling somewhere near 125 pages of written word. I know I am not the first or the last person to have to write papers but this is stressing me out and I am coping by complaining. Quite therapeutic. I firmly believe that if environmentalists want to make a difference, they should go after university professors and urge them to resist their uncontrollable urges to assign multiple papers. However, I am not an innocent party in this matter either. Yesterday I handed in my final project for my summer applied study (WOOHOO!!) and let's just say the resulting stack of paper is best described in inches rather than page numbers.

I could go on for some time about my project but since it is difficult to describe and possibly even boring for those who think learning about history is akin to eating dust, it is essentially about compiling primary sources to teach grade five students about Canadian immigration to the West. What I have learned through this process can be boiled down to a single catchy phrase that I will possibly market for bumper stickers: "Go hug an immigrant." (TM) Immigrants not only fundamentally transformed our country, but most of us owe our very existence in this country to immigrants. So if you like living in Canada, go and give a big old hug to the next immigrant you see.

During my research for the project, I came across a lot of interesting documents. Not all of them related to immigration. Here is one from 1979 by a local First Nations artist I found particularly enjoyable

See, historical research really can be fun! Next time I will post court documents for land claims, which I can assure you are as equally fascinating.



P.S. If you want to read something far more interesting than my blog (hard to imagine) check out David's blog. There is a link on the right.

Real Life Superheroes

Imagine yourself walking down a busy street in New York city, people pressed up against you everywhere you turn. One second you are beside a classy businesswoman, which you don't mind because she is wearing a really nice perfume, and the next second you are face to face with a bearded biker whose only fragrance is a week's worth of sweat infused with a hint of leather. While you are busy smelling your way through the crowd, a thief snatches your purse and before you even realize what has happened, he disappears into the throngs. At this time of crisis, only one thought is going through your mind. Where are the superheroes when you need them?

While there may have been times when we thought our batman pjs and dress-up capes qualified us as real superheroes, most of us grew out of that stage before we hit junior high. However, a select few have held onto the dream and transformed themselves into......Real Life Superheroes Now this may sound like a joke but you know it is serious because they have their own website, complete with offical symbols, a superhero creed and even a superhero directory(www.reallifesuperheroes.org). Here is what their home page states:

Superheroes are not just in the comics or in the movies anymore. Out of the comics and into real life, conscientious citizens have created their own "Superhero" personas to make the world a better place. They have been dubbed by the media as Real Life Superheroes (RLSH). The Real-Life Superheroes is a grassroots movement that performs civic service in many different areas. Superheroes make an impact on their communities in civic activities, conducting public safety patrols, crime fighting, charity work and other pro social acts.

Real Life Superheroes don their masks and capes to inspire others to their cause. You can find these Real Life Superheroes out on the streets creating stronger and safer communities. The Real Life Superheroes believe there is a superhero in everyone and that we all can make a difference. Our main mission is to inspire everyday citizens to take action and stand up for what they believe in.

We are here for good and we are here to do good for others.

Superheroes are real.

That's right. Superheroes are real. And they are very serious about what they do. Meet Citizen Prime (alias Jim Wayne) who is actively involved in building the League of Citizen Heroes. His aim is to "prime" people to live up to their goals and to make their communities a better place. And just in case you were wondering, he has professional grade armor as well as "a host of accompanying gadgets based upon the mission."

There is also Phantom Zero. His identity remains a secret and his main activity is donating to charities and helping people find aid. This unknown hero claims the only weapon he needs is Reason. Now these activities may sound unworthy of superhero status, but donning the scary looking mask justifies it as such. Maybe its just me, but I think it is a bit paradoxical that someone tries to help people live better lives while looking like the Grim Reaper.

Apparently it isn't too hard to qualify as a superhero. The Green Sage is a high school biology and environmental science teacher whose superhero activity is teaching people about the environment while wearing a green robe. Direction Man, dubbed the "human GPS" helps lost souls find their way around New York's Times Square. Kismet simply dons a yellow shirt with a peace sign and a funny hat and makes a point of letting people know "that they can be awesome, and there are lots of ways to do so."

While the whole concept of Real Life Superheroes is a bit out there, I must admit that for the most part, these people seem genuinely dedicated to making the world around them a better place. They may not be saving the world from imminent destruction or flying faster than a speeding bullet, but they are taking it upon themselves to make change in the world. You know when they make the effort to make armor out of professional grade material that they are serious about what they are doing. Simple things like picking up litter, volunteering at homeless shelters and donating to charities can make a difference. We may laugh at their methods but perhaps we can see these Real Life Superheroes as a reminder to pay attention to the social injustices in our world.

So next time you see me, I just might be wearing a green robe with a grim reaper mask looking to tell you how awesome you are. Wouldn't that be super?

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Green Eggs and War

What do green eggs, American isolationism and Adolf Hitler all have in common? Obviously they are all subjects in Dr. Seuss' work. While Dr. Seuss was telling Americans what he saw on Mulberry street, he was also using political cartoons to not so subtly urge them to actually fight in the war instead of just watching it. Apparently this side of Dr. Seuss' career is pretty well known, but I guess I am out of the Dr. Seuss loop. Here is a sample of his work...I especially like the last one.








Have you ever wondered why everyone hated the Nazis so much, besides the fact they were intolerant killing machines? I think it is because Disney told them to. Not one to be left out of the action or miss an opportunity to make a little money, Walt Disney churned out wartime propaganda films just to make sure everyone was on the same page in hating the Nazis and supporting the war. After all, Total War means that even cartoon characters have to do their part.

Donald Duck dreams he is a Nazi


The A-list of Disney characters reminds Canada to buy war bonds


How a Nazi is made

Sideburns

Have you ever stopped to wonder where the word sideburn comes from? Chances are, you probably don't care, but I am going to tell you anyways. The very handsome man pictured above is none other than Ambrose Burnside, a Union general in the American Civil War. He was obvioulsy blessed with the ability to grow volumous amounts of hair on the side of his face and as a result, his name was used to label the very distinctive style.

Unfortunatley for good old Ambrose, his contribution to society is limited to his facial hair. It is quite possible that he focused too much of his attention on grooming his hair and not quite enough on leading the army. His strategy at the battle of Fredericksburg went a little something like this:

Soldier: Great job on taking over the town General! We sure showed those Confederate scoundrels whose boss.

Burnside: Thanks soldier, but I would really love to give those dirty southerners another kick in the pants. Why don't we go chase them as they retreat up that hill?

Soldier: Great idea! I am sure they won't be able to mow us down in their advantageous position on top of the hill. It is unlikely that waves of Confederates will rush down the hill and decimate our army.

Burnside's brilliant strategy led to a massive defeat for his army, but maybe it was all for the best. We wouldn't want his military accomplishments outshining his contribution as a style icon.

History can be funny...

Substitute Sister

French braids are difficult to master. I think it may have taken me longer than most girls to learn this fine art since I did not have a sister to practice on while I was growing up. My mom let me practice on her hair for awhile, but then she cut it short and I was relegated to practicing on Totally Long Hair Barbie or any friend who was daring enough to let me attack their hair. Judging by my current skills, these friends were few and far between. I know I have said before that I never really missed not having a sister growing up, but in hindsight, it would have been great for improving my braiding skills. Brothers just don't measure in that department...at least I thought so.

When my brother David came home for Christmas, he came sporting a rather long hairstyle. Being a wonderful brother, David let me experience what I had been missing all these years and I was finally able to braid the hair of one of my siblings. It was a bonding moment, as I assume all sister braiding parties are. Here are the results:





Just so I don't leave you with the wrong impression of David, here he is when he is not letting me pretend he is my sister.



David, you were a great substitute sister, but you are an even better real brother.

Gongshow

If anyone wants to stay informed on the current fiasco in Parliament I would reccomend visiting www.mapleleafweb.com. It is a website run by political science professors at the U of L and it offers a fairly non-partisan overview of all the events as they unfold. I think understanding all the aspects of the issue is the key to developing an informed opinion and this website will help you do that.

For those of you who aren't nerds like me and don't care about politics 99% of the time, I promise you this is exciting stuff. Love it or hate it, you should pay attention. 20 years from now when your children are in university and they take political science because that is what all the cool kids are taking (plus history of course), what is happening right now will still be discussed. History is in the making and you don't want to miss it.

Rest in Pieces

Blue Pontiac Firebird a.k.a F-bomb (1987-2008)
The beastly blue machine passed into junkyard glory on November 22 after many years of suffering. The Firebird, affectionately nicknamed F-bomb, came into the Vanderberg family about eight years ago, winning us over with its sleek style and dazzling blue colour. Especially loved were the T-roof and the CD player...what more could you want? F-bomb was passed down to all four children, trying its best to serve them faithfully, bringing them tree planting,to basketball and volleyball games, and back and forth to school each day. However, signs of trouble began early. F-bomb kept putting its engine light on and would sometimes simply refuse to go, leaving us all stranded at various places and times(Middle of nowhere, highway to Taber, important first date). Over the years, its muffler gradually got louder and louder, subjecting it to the scorn of neighbours and embarassing its owners. Finally, one day its muffler simply fell off and F-bomb took a turn for the worse. It no longer wanted to turn on its headlights, make its windshield wipers work, keep the rain out or keep the seats locked in place. Often it would decide to stop driving in the middle of a busy road and a few pumps of the gas pedal was needed to convince it to keep on moving. However, F-bomb must be credited for its perserverance. After being near death for many years, it would somehow still find a little bit of energy to keep on going, although not always when you needed it to. Resilient to the end, F-bomb was able to make one last journey to its final destination. F-bomb is survived by George, Chris, Brad, Trevor, David and Lindsay. Though it is gone, it will never be forgotten. Being stranded late at night, driving in the pouring rain without windshield wipers, and having to turn on headlights by hand has only made us stronger and more aware of what kind of cars not to buy. F-bomb will forever remain the quintessential trashy car that most people only wish they could drive. Thanks for the memories. You will be missed...kind of.

Hunting

I bet you I spent my Labour Day in a way none of you did, or have, or ever will. I dug out my winter coat, put on my boots, and I went hunting. Now this particular type of hunting does not include killing any Bambis, Thumpers or Bullwinkles. Rather, my elusive prey was the...mushroom. Really, I don't think it should be called mushroom hunting seeing as those fungi don't really put up much of a fight or try to escape, but there was some pretty mad knife skills invovled and well, "mushroom hunting" sounds a lot better than "perusing for mushrooms."

Before you label me a dork, I must point out that this wasn't my idea. At all. Being the wonderful girlfriend that I am, I choose to help Jordan with his new favourite hobby. I carried the mushroom basket (apparently mushrooms can't be stored in plastic...and baskets are way cooler) all around the river bottom and protected the specimen. After a very unsuccessful first half, Jordan found four different kinds of mushrooms. I found a lot of rocks that looked like mushrooms. That is why I carried the bakset.

You are probably wondering how someone gets interested in knowing anything about mushrooms beyond what they taste like. Well it all started in Tofino, BC on our family vacation where there was a mushroom book in our rental house. David and Jordan read it together and then, while treeplanting, David bought his very own mushroom book. Needing someone to share his excitement with, David bought Jordan the very same one. Here is what it looks like.


This book has gone everywhere with Jordan. It came to the Jack Johnson concert, into restaurants, into various bathrooms, and everywhere in between. Now while most mushroom hunters are slightly insane as you can see, I am happy to report that Jordan and David have managed to keep it together. Another bonus is that neither have died or developed any serious illnesses from eating any of their treasures. This guy wasn't so lucky though. So make sure you know what you are doing.

I know mushroom hunting probably isn't your idea of fun, but I wouldn't knock it until you try it. After all, you get to spend time in the great outdoors with someone you care about and it is much more stimulating than watching TV. I had a blast...even if I only carried the basket.

Green Gym Halo Ocean Jesus

The guilt of letting down all my faithful blogger readers (or reader...thanks Mom!) has finally gotten to me and so here I am once again, trying to find something to blog about.

My summer is shaping up to be pretty similar to last summer, working full time at Blocks and Rocks Landscaping Centre as a receptionist. However there are two very note-worthy differences.

#1. I have my very own business cards. A beautiful green colour. Apparently I am not good enough for it to say what I do...but my name is on there. I even give them out for free.

#2. Keeping with the green theme, I now have a reliable form of transportation, which I henceforth dub The Green Machine. It is a beautiful green Chrysler mini-van with room for 7 complete with a large dent in the side. It's a sport edition too yet. The best part is its fuel efficiency...costing me $80 or more to fill it up. The Green Machine replaces the now defunct Firebird (aka The F-bomb)whose broken windshield wipers, unreliable headlights, leaky windows, broken de-frost, constant shaking and sometimes-starting-engine will be sorely missed.

Besides work, my summer has consisted of hanging out with friends, watching Jordan play soccer, going to the gym with Whitney and playing Halo with Jordan at his new house. I am proud to say I can now kill him approximately 4 times when he is trying his absolute hardest. Going to the gym has allowed me to discover my fondness for steam rooms. They are wonderfully refreshing and you should all try one sometime.

Speaking of refreshing, I also had my very first professional massage this summer when I went to Tofino on Vancouver Island with my family and Jordan. It was pretty fantastic. It was also my first time seeing the ocean which was amazing and incredibly informative with a biology textbook boyfriend by your side. Everything was beautiful...the rainforest, the starfish, the natural hot springs, the whales we never got to see on our whale watching tour, the oysters the boys poached off the rocks and the crabs they all killed for supper. All in all, it was a great time.

That is pretty much it for vacation time, although this past Sunday, my parents, Betsy and I went to the Badlands Passion Play in Drumheller. It is a 3 hour play about Jesus' life in a natural outdoor ampitheater in the middle of the hodoos and the badlands so it resembles ancient Judea and Jerusalem. They really strive to make it realistic, with the costumes, hair and even live horses and donkeys. They have a choir and band sitting behind you providing the soundtrack and the actors move all around the hodoos and into the crowd. It is hard to explain how amazing it is, so you should all go there at one point in your life...or at least check out their website www.canadianpassionplay.com .

That is my summer so far. If you are reading this from Ontario, I probably miss you. If you are reading this from Alberta, it has been good to be home. If you are reading this from somewhere else, I probably don't know you. Have a blessed summer!

P.S. It is my birthday in a week.

Farewell

I remember sitting in a highschool classroom in a couple of years ago listening to a presentation on Redeemer that consisted of telling us how great the food plan was, and thinking to myself "I am never going to go there!" I don't usually like to be wrong, but this is one instance where I am blessed to have been so off the mark. It is funny how we plan our lives to go in the direction we think is best and we get radically turned around and experience something beyond what we could have imagined for ourselves.

Dealing with change has never been my strong point but I took a step of faith and came out to Ontario, hoping and praying for the best. I came to Redeemer not knowing what to expect but having a lot of doubts. Would I make friends? Could I live with 7 other girls? Will I learn anything? Is the food plan really that great?

It seems like just yesterday that I got off the plane to embark on this new adventure away from everything familiar, but now here I am, sitting back at home. The school year passed by so quickly but I will always remember this time for the wonderful memories and the invaluable lessons. I have met some of the most genuine and caring people and am proud to call them my friends. I lived with 7 amazing and unique girls who taught me so much by simply being different from me. The community that surrounded me blessed me in immeasurable ways, with ample amounts of laughter and people to challenge me in my thinking and beliefs.

Being at Redeemer taught me more about myself than I ever expected. I learned that change is an absolute necessity in life. As much as readjusting is hard, it gives you a whole new perspective on life. I realize that life is not always about structure and planning and sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches. I learned that there are endless opportunities in this world and that I am not confined in what I can do by only thinking of what I have already done. I would like to think that I have become more responsible as well, but I guess that is up for debate. I have also learned that recruiting students on the merits of the food plan should be considered false advertising.

As much as I loved my time spent at Redeemer, the time has come for me to leave that place behind. God puts some things in our lives for seasons and others for lifetimes, and I guess my studies at Redeemer were only meant to be one part on my journey. However, I know that the relationships I have made and the things I have learned will stay with me beyond seasons and years. I have come home with much of the same attitude that I first went to Redeemer with, not knowing what lies ahead of me, but hoping for the best. I have wonderful friends and family and it is great to be with them again, but it is still hard to say good-bye. Instead I will say see you later. Farewell Redeemer. Farewell friends. May you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

No More Licorice

I would like to make a new law. It would go something like "Thou shalt not use twizzlers to whip, violently strike or assualt in any other fashion, unless of course, someone strikes you first." I learned today first hand that while twizzlers may seem like a fun innocent snack, they stinkin hurt. And leave imprints. And make you bleed. Although they make a good alternative for those of us who can't do the towel whipping thing, in the wrong hands, things could get dangerous. Not my hands of course. I am a responsible licorice user and only retaliate when necessary. In my opinion, licorice should only be used as candy to be eaten...or as a straw to drink your juice because we all did it as kids and it was fun. When else can you eat your straw when you are done?

On a completely unrelated note, I was watching the American Idol special Idol Gives Back, after searching for it on the internet for an hour, and the contestants finished the show singing "Shout to the Lord." Does anyone else find that weird?

Lessons

I have learned three lessons this week and I would like to share my new wisdom with you.

Lesson 1. I tried a new tea this week, based upon the delighful cinnamon smell of the teabag. It is called Bengal Spice and I simply loved it. So the moral is that you should taste things if they smell good and you should all go buy Bengal Spice tea.

Lesson 2. I was feeling kind of frustrated and angry one day and so I decided to paint my nails pink. Bright pink. So go paint your nails bright colours if you are sad, depressed or sick of the greyness of winter.

Lesson 3. I spilled pink nail polish on my pants. Pink nail polish doesn't come out of pants. So don't spill nail polish on your pants.

That is all.

Moment of Truth

On Wednesday after watching American Idol, I was flipping through the channels...all four of them...and I came across a show called Moment of Truth. I had never heard of this show and neither had anyone else and so we started watching out of curiousity.

It is a reality gameshow where contestants are asked something like 50 questions prior to the show while hooked up to a lie detector. Then they are brought on stage in front of their family and spouse, a studio audience and an annoying host. The idea is for them to answer all the questions they are asked truthfully, according to the results of the polygraph in order to win money. They have to answer 21 questions which get increasingly personal to win $500 000. If at anytime they don't tell the truth, they lose all of the money.

Now I am all for honesty, but the questions that are asked on this show go beyond all reasonable limits. This is entertainment that has the potential to cause siginficant damage to a person's relationship with their loved ones. Some of the questions asked are "Do you think you are a better mother to your children than your mother was to you?" "Would you sleep with your former boyfriend (asked to a married woman) if you knew you would never get caught?" "Do you love your mother or your father more?" All these questions are asked in front of the people they are being asked about. The contestants are well aware of the questions they will be asked, seeing as they already had to answer them while hooked up to the lie detector. It just amazes me that people are willing to answer these types of questions just for money. I could go on some long tangent about how stupid our society can be sometimes, but instead, you can watch this video of the show and make your own judgments. I for one think some questions are better left unasked. Is greed induced honesty really honesty at all?

Alone!

If you would have asked me this week to describe myself in one word, I would have said loner. I have been cooped up in my room for the better part of the week all alone with only the insanely loud ticking of the clock downstairs to keep me company. When most people have a house to themselves, they take it as an opportunity to do anything they want without the fear of a housemate’s wrath. For me, this meant that I….brace yourselves…went to the market and bought groceries that are on the more expensive side to be eaten by only me. Things like apple cinnamon oatmeal, grape juice, frozen yogurt and pop tarts. If you thought that was adventurous, I also played music really loud…. for about 20 minutes but then I realized I hate loud music and turned it off.

Ok so I am boring. I was trying to think of fun things to do by myself but I mostly just scared myself by imagining that there was someone living in my basement. We have a sump pump we named Charlie but that is about it and we are pretty sure that he is harmless, although he does makes loud noises.

Because I have been deprived of human contact this week, my days during the Reading week have been spent….Reading! Well, more accurately studying, but you read when you study so I guess I am using this week for its intended purpose. I have also been watching a lot of TV and movies. I caught up on Lost and American Idol and watched 7 movies…The Devil Wears Prada, Where the Heart Is, A Beautiful Mind, The Devil Wears Prada…again (because Jordan wanted to see all the nice clothes) Juno, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and the Spiderwick Chronicles.

So there you have my week as a loner. If you ever find yourself alone, I hope you can think of more exciting things to do. As for me, I think I might go buy some more groceries.