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Calgary Herald Q: To sticker or not to sticker, that is the question. Also on the Calgary Herald QFor the first time since Mayor Bronco has taken office, I have actually agreed with him. Bronco has said that placing the "troop-supporting stickers would antagonize those who feel the message sanctions a war they oppose." True that. You see decals all the time on people's vehicles: "My kid is an honour student at (insert snob-school-name-here) school", "My kid plays piano better than your kid knows how to walk", "Say yes to (insert-whichever-charity-of-the-day-you-feel-like-donating-to)" etc. It's great to see people voicing their opinions on whichever issue means a lot to them. Living in a democratic country allows us to do such a thing.  Living in this democratic country also means we're being run by conservatives who believe in our troops being in Afghanistan whether we like it or not, unfortunately. While the stickers say "support" the troops, the underlying message is one of that we support the war in Afghanistan, which will then lead to an obvious heated debate.The ribbons, stickers and decals, to me, is an obvious political statement. Personally, I find it screams "pro-war" and that is not a message I am comfortable with – hence my lack of support for the decals on city vehicles. I support anyone who puts their life at risk everyday for the better of the community or country. I suppose once we put these decals on dump trucks, we should make up ones that say "Support the police department" or "Support the window cleaners". They know we support them, why does a yellow decal need to emphasize that? This whole decal tiff is getting in the way of actual politics and quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of hearing about it. Tired of hearing about how the council is still defending their decision to not put the stickers on the city fleet, how the mayor has to answer to every parent, wife or husband of a soldier because of his unwavering stance on the issue, and how there are actual meetings about these blasted yellow decals. These little yellow decals do not belong on a dump truck, police car, city bus or fire truck. Case closed. End of story. Move on. If citizens believe so strongly about sharing their message with others, they can put them on their own vehicle - not publicly funded and owned vehicles. Supporting troops shouldn't be done materialistically; if the troops don't know by now that Canada is obviously behind them, then they might need to take a trip home for a reality check. The support should remain in our thoughts and our hearts, not on the ass-end of a vehicle. Councils decision to sell the decals at the city's facilities is support enough: all money goes directly towards the local Military Family Resource Centre. Posted by Bella at 7:43 AM# "So if clearly, golf isn't the 'sport' for us, why are we still playing it?" "Just because I don't peak everytime I have sex doesn't mean I don't still enjoy doing it."- Golf partner
Posted by Bella at 6:47 AM# Nicest random comment by a driver ever. "I don't have the energy to hit on you right now, but I wanted to tell you you're very attractive." Little did he know I was on my way home to stuff my face full of peanut butter cookies which would later make me exceptionally unattractive. Posted by Bella at 9:59 PM# I heard something calling me all day. I figured out what it was.  Matt and Nat Fall Collection Raging Bull Colour: Cognac Posted by Bella at 6:09 PM# We are in need of a telecommunication revolution. Also on the Calgary Herald Q.It's not me, it's you. When I first met you, I was completely enamored with you. You were reliable for about the first month or so into each new year and then you got distant. You cut me off for no reason, cost me an absurd amount, treat me like everyone else (and I thought I was above the rest...) and I believe, have been falsely advertised as something you're definitely not: reliable. When I first found you, I was pretty excited. Maybe it was the newness of it all. Maybe it was the change of pace. Whatever it was, it died quickly and I once again found myself in a lonely, inaccessible place where I needed you. You were my lifeline to the outside world, to my friends and family. I hope someone else will have better times with you. Maybe you’ll come full circle and I’ll learn to love you again, but until then, I have to move on to someone who will treat me better, give me gifts at Christmas and not drop me when there’s a problem. Sincerely, Customer number 2A3-004-HB5-999 I can’t figure out what's worse; knowing that Canada pays the highest cell phone fees of any developed country, or that Americans are getting better deals than us when it comes to cell phones. Here I thought they envied us, but I actually envy them… just on this one issue though. Since I broke my cell phone virginity and jumped into a contract with one of Canada's largest telecommunication companies, I have had no end of issues with them. Sure, I'll be the first to admit that sometimes issues have been user-error and not so much their error, but it's generally more them than me. I often snicker when I come across an American cell phone ad and their message is "fewest dropped calls". Dropped calls? Who gets dropped calls? Silly Americans. Little did I know it happens to us too. In the past 4 years, I have had 4 cell phones with the same provider. The first one was ok, until 2 months before the contract was up and it suddenly stopped working. I batted my eyelashes in a flirty way and got a new phone, no charge and was on my way again. The second phone was cursed (stupid eyelash batting) and was sent back to the store months after because of a battery issue. Awesome. Third phone was also cursed but I was told it "wasn't surprising there was an issue with this phone as it was new and no one should ever buy first generation anything". That would have been something to have told me when I bought it. And now, I am down to my last phone with this cellular provider. I was told to buy it because it had an excellent performance record and the company providing them was one of the best. Well. How come I’m having issues with it? I can handle paying the 911 access fee, the network fee, the "you-are-a-customer-of-us-so-we’ll-stick-it-to-you-every-way-we-can" fee and others, but what I can’t handle is the contract we're obligated to take in order to get a better price on a phone which will self-combust long before the contract is up. Until those years are up, we’re forced to pay an absurd amount for a new phone that may or not break before your current contract is up. Living in Canada gives us the option of 3 major providers. However, if you live south of the border, you are given the option of cheaper phones, better rates, bigger selection of providers and less grief. Or so people say. So until the day when the CRTC decides to take their head out of their ass and allow some smaller telecommunication companies to start up to take away the monopoly the larger companies are involved in, we’re left with little choice of who to use. The service won’t change no matter how many cute animals they put in a commercial or how many songs you can put on your phone. Posted by Bella at 8:07 AM# "So like yah, and stuff, and like the united s.a. and stuff... you know and like I'm so pretty..." Ok I get it. I think I finally get it - these girls aren't actually picked for their brains, but rather, what they look like. And all along I thought when you were picked for the coveted title of Miss Whatever, you turn into a bit of a role model for those Little Miss Sunshine-esque kids who idolize you. Maybe they should pick something safer like a Barbie doll and continue idolizing them.Good gracious. Posted by Bella at 7:36 AM# Happy 50th...  Exactly 5-years since her last 50th surprise birthday party, we have another 50th birthday party. Not many people I know get two 50th parties in a lifetime so let's just say... my mom's special.At 45 she figured that was it; the cancer would eventually come back and take her before she had the opportunity to make it to 50. Well, 5-years later, she's free of the big C and she's still kicking about. So, naturally, we had to kick off our shoes and have another shin-dig for her. Same venue, some new faces, some who were with us 5 years ago, and some who, of course, had to be there (ahem: Nanie, Alex and Jeff). And so you have it; my beautiful mom was able to enjoy her real 50th birthday cake on her actual 50th birthday.
Posted by Bella at 12:40 PM# Frustrated looking for that certain someone? Posted by Bella at 7:34 AM# Style Icon: Suri Cruise  Remember back in the day when Tom jumped on Oprah's couch and declared his intense love for the innocent little Katie Holmes? We all thought he was nuts... and that she must have been under some sort of spell to be handling his crazyness so well. Their love produced one of the cutest kids I have ever seen. When I have a kid and name it some adorable name everyone will be talking about for years and years to come, I want to hire Suri as my kids stylist. Seriously. This kid is something else. I give no credit to the parents, Katie and Tom; everything goes to Suri. Instead of looking like some freaky whored-out mini adult, she looks like a cute kid. Posted by Bella at 7:32 AM# Happy Pre-Birthday Megan! 
Posted by Bella at 7:11 AM# Calgary Herald Q: Dear Calgary Police... In case you haven't figured out by now, this city is an incredible seething cauldron of angry drivers. Not sure if it's because everyone has the patience of a wrecking ball in "historic Calgary," or it's that we've grown so quickly that people become overly aggitated by the sight of another BMW or Bentley.Continue reading... Posted by Bella at 7:24 AM# Friday night of neverending random stories with the roomies.  Really don't think this wasp was very happy to be under the can of Molson. Maybe if it was a bottle of Pilsner or Big Rock he would have been slightly happier.  Let the Friday night games begin. It started with some Chinese sausage and a strawberry vodka / 7-Up.
 3 or 4 shots and 5 malibu and pineapples later, I was actually happy to smile for Jeff's camera. Again. Posted by Bella at 4:57 PM# I can feel an uncontrolled binge approaching. Yesterday on my usual weekend jaunt to Planet Organic, I came across the cookie / cracker / chip aisle and couldn't resist taking a gander of what once was ok to eat. You know, for old times sake. I noticed on a couple of the boxes of crackers it had a label indicating it was an approved product of the National Celiac Association which in essence meant - Megan could eat them! Woot! I got all excited and rowdy, doing a little dance in the aisle until flipping over the box and reading the ingredients which has become habit when I buy anything.  After reading the first couple ingredients... I come across "Milk ingredients: skim milk, cheddar cheese, etc." Nice. I pull another box off the shelf which were a different flavour and noticed the exact same thing... and another and another - until I stood there, with my basket full of bananas and Kids Club cookies on one arm, my purse on the other and 2 boxes of crackers in my hands and begin sobbing. And not just like - a tear here, a tear there. A full out, uncontrolled snotty sob in aisle 3 which would soon need a clean up. I think I hit my breaking point yesterday. I've become down-right bored with what I eat on a daily basis. People might not understand what I could get so worked up over, but it's been 4 and a half months of being a super picky eater at restaurants, eating natural or organic food because it doesn't have any random products in it, and of drinking lactaid instead of real moo-juice. Not to mention the lack of ice cream sandwiches (which kills me because my roomies eat them religiously), chocolate bars (oh fuck and Halloween is coming up...), flavoured potato chips, burgers, buns, bread... everything. It's come with it's bittersweet outcomes though; I have lost 40lbs and 6 inches in my waist which is great, but I have been unable to enjoy what the rest of the population is enjoying. With the temptation of an uncontrolled binge lingering on a regular basis, it's becoming a tougher and tougher devil to fight off.
Posted by Bella at 1:08 PM# Animator vs. Animation. Has anyone not seen this?Animator vs. Animation by *alanbecker on deviantART Posted by Bella at 7:01 AM# PostSecret Every Monday morning, I scour this website to check out the new PostSecrets. Some are super haunting, others are incredible. Frank put together a movie of some of the postcards he's received...Posted by Bella at 6:50 AM# "Dear God, it's me Megan. Wtf, yo?"  Some things I just don't think the population care to read about - and I think this might be one of them. Although, I could be wrong. Writing a book, or, a memoir if you will, on the day she finally found out how to... erm... you know, climax... must have made her parents happy. Now, if only she could find someone to cut her the six digit advance. Posted by Bella at 7:45 AM# Calgary Herald Q - Gruesome images don't help the pro-life cause  Just when you thought all was quiet on the abortion debate, the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform slaps some offensive billboard-size pictures on the sides of a box truck, parading around town like they're advertising the circus is coming. Does this hardly-known group really think it's going to stop women from ever considering an abortion? Posted by Bella at 7:07 AM# The Salmon Dance. Posted by Bella at 6:46 AM# Calgary Herald Q - Grow up... not out.  Once again, Calgary is expanding. Unfortunately, it's growing out - not up.Full article here... Posted by Bella at 7:30 AM# My key chain is a couple keys lighter. Over the past little while, my life has gone into a bit of a 'spring-clean up' of sorts.Trying to get back into bouldering... not that I was ever a super pro-star at it. It was something I admired from a distance, and tried only a few times. But those few times left a definite hunger for more hence my excitement for getting back into it. Desperately saving for a place I can call mine but am finding it increasingly difficult in the Calgary market. Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know the average price of a single family home is now over $500,000. Wtf. It seems that the longer it takes me to put cash away each paycheque, the higher the house prices go and the further out of reach my eventual dream becomes. At times, it feels completely and totally useless and I get this dreaded feeling that I will never hang that "Home Sweet Home" sign. On the other hand, knowing just how hard that goal is - makes me want it that much more. Of course, still trying to sell Al. How silly is it that one can get so attached to a car? For the love of God - I have issues. I felt like I won the lottery today however when I pulled up all my mats and carpets and vacuumed him; I found $6.76. He knows how to surprise me when I need it most. In a more dramatic twist on events, I moved out of the condo and into a house in the n.e. with 3 super swell guys. Although it was an incredibly difficult move and change of lifestyle, my new peeps have managed to keep me on my toes. Although, I am kinda missing the power I had as President of the condo board... I was told I wasn't able to be President of the house. Made friends, lost friends. Witnessed friends getting married, offered a shoulder for those who have split. House-hunted for new places for others, still imagine what my first will look like. The year is only a little over half over - wonder what else will grace my plate with its existence. Posted by Bella at 7:25 PM# I do what with this?! Don't really know where to begin with this. My mind is about as dirty, if not dirtier, than the next guy so when I saw this - ha. I almost closed the screen thinking my room-mate would think I was looking at things which might make him uncomfortable. Thankfully, it's only a Banana Bunker. My bad, it's not meant for pleasure - it's meant to protect my bananas when I have them in my purse! How embarrassed am I?! It gets pretty funny about 1.15 into the video.
Posted by Bella at 6:53 PM# Sure, I'm hot - but is that enough? August long weekend. I was hoping to get out to Revelstoke this weekend and wade a little in Williamsons Lake or hike the 3-hour trek to Jade Lake, but alas, my grandma's husbands kids are using the house. A little nonplussed but what can you do. Sure, I could have stayed with a friend, but I think he's working all weekend and really - what fun is that? Just got back from an epic road-adventure with me, myself and I... oh, and my trusty iPod stocked full of tuneage. I don't know how many times I've played The Fray in my car; they never get tiring. Drove to Vancouver for my mom's surprise bday party. She was cute - although she had figured it out long before the day of the party. Ok, maybe not figured figured it out, but she knew something was up. We were acting weird, Ashley was putting her dog into a kennel for the weekend, Ben was just coincidentally in the neighbourhood and would drop in (erm... 1,129 kms is in the neighbourhood, yah?) and Nanie was cleaning and baking like a mad-woman. Way to give it away kids, way to give it away. The short of it... left town and booted it to Field - didn't even stop to pee once (weird, eh?!) and met up with Ian and Ashley who were just cruising along at grandpa speed. Decided I was the leader (because apparently Vancouver is hard to find) and made our way to Revelstoke. On the way there - I hit something. At the time I didn't know what but was soon texted with the words "well you're awfully calm for being on such a murderous rampage". Wha? Shit. Poor bird never saw Al coming - and vice versa. Lunch with Mike the conductor at the Nomad and continued on to Salmon Arm where I had to stop and wait for the kids to catch up with me. Something about driving too fast... I credit it to the v-power gas I filled up with. Next stop was Starbucks in Kamloops for my personal fill-up, "iced-grande-sugar-free-vanilla-lactaid-lite-ice-latte please" but instead of getting my drink of choice, I was informed that Starbucks in BC doesn't do lactaid so I would have to settle for something else. Awesome. Something icy and fruity instead and back on the road it was for us. Only a short hour later I was texted with the words "need gas... desperately" but was confused because they just filled up. Damn Fords... so we stopped in Merritt where it was a luscious 42.6 degrees (I am pretty sure the .6 degree was what set off the temperature really - I could have done with just the 42) and filled up the beast. Back on the road and downhill to the next pee break.. (so far, I have counted 6 stops for 7 hours - damn uterus) and then all the way to the White Rock turnoff where we were.. rudely stopped on the Trans Canada for some bogus construction. Seriously. On a Friday? I have places to go, people to see and gluten-free food to eat. Soon enough though, we were welcomed with open arms into my grandma's house and that was it for driving. Thank God. The party was bright and early Saturday - ok.. so it started at 1 but that's still kinda early when all you really want to do is sleep. People started arriving and the party was no longer a secret. Woot! My months of hard long event planning paid off: people were fed, drinking, happy by the pool and singing my mom bday wishes. Ashley and I thought it would be a perfect time to bust a move to the local liquor store for some beautiful Rum. Mmmm rum. Rum rum rum. Within the hour, we were having a hard time standing up without feeling wobbly. Guess that's what happens when you don't eat much during the day. Mmmm rum rum rum rum...  Sunday arrived and we were off to brunch at the golf club. Soon there after, we piled into the Ford and made our way into the big city for some shopping, Whole Foods shopping and beach walking. So we got as far as... shopping and the grocery store and the traffic became so intense we had to turn around. Sigh. No beach for me. Back to grandmas house and I was back out for dinner with an old friend. After dinner at Joeys, back to the house where we piled back into the truck for a moonlit walk at White Rock beach. And after a rather rushed walk, (someone had to pee... again) we were back home and I was packing for the exciting car ride home.Left at 7 and got my lactaid latte (with a little help) and I was back on the road. Pretty much cruised til Salmon Arm where I picked up some fresh fruit, on request, and back on the road. Stopped in Canmore for some real latte action and I was home in no time. Ok maybe like 10 hours. Nevertheless, saw tons of famly, hung out with friends, ate a ridiculous amount of food and put a little over 2,000kms (and not to mention a couple feathers from an unfortunate incident) on my little car. Posted by Bella at 6:59 AM# |
