Having been a previous supposedly die hard fan of the popular blackberry line of cell phones and as such an owner or three blackberries in a row I felt there was no other phone for me. Needless to say I loved how it felt in my hand, loved blackberry messenger and downloaded many apps.
However please note that is all in past tense. Due to the unacceptable amount of technical difficulties with my latest blackberry curve phone and the virtually impossible to use warranty program I decided to give the iPhone a try. There is no compareison in my mind between the two - texting is easier and faster, the download speeds are substantially faster and certain web pages that I thought were inaccessible on the Rogers network open effortlessly. PDF files are no problem for the iPhone whereas they were irritating at best and murderous rage inducing at worst using a blackberry. The calendar that comes as part of the basic iPhone package is extremely user friendly unlike blackberry's poor excuse for one and the available free apps blow the mind with the new iPhone. Honestly now the thought is not " I need my laptop because I can't do that on my phone" from the old blackberry days but are now " screw the laptop this bitching phone is faster"! In short you lose RIM because this mom will never go back!
The only shortcoming that kind off anoys the hell out of me with the iPhone is the autocorrect function - no I don't mean he'll when I say hell and really shut is a poor exchange for shit however at least when you really get pissed off the iPhone autocorrect doesn't tell everyone how much you hate your DUCKING phone unlike that other brand.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Christmas is just too damned Wal-martized
Christmas is just around the corner and I am barraged with a tirade of mommy please and I want I want I want - you know what I want? An anti-commercialized rendition of Christmas without all the begging, greed and looks of derision when I say screw Christmas, it sucks. I just love starting a good debate with all those idiots out there who are convinced that wasting their hard earned money buying crap the recipient doesn't want and really probably doest need uttering the age old idiom of "its the thought that counts" as if Christmas is the only time we think about the people we care about.
In saying the above its not Christmas per say that I am disagreeable with, its the Wal-martizm of the holiday that it has become that I HATE HATE HATE. Who in the name of all that is financially responsible started this trend of spending ridiculous sums of hard earned money in the name of what once was a celebration of the birth of a religious icon? I can understand wanting to show the ones you love how much you care but for facks sake even Jesus only got 3 bloody gifts!
I wish we lived in a society that wasn't so entrenched in the ideology of spend every penny you have and rack up bankruptcy levels of consumer debt to show people you care and lived more in a society of showing you care through spending time together as a family and doing something special for them. So to everyone out there to whom I do not wish merry Christmas or to whom feel shock and awe when I say to hell with Christmas its not that I don't care about you, its that I don't care for the commercialism of the holiday and would rather piss glass than bankrupt myself and force my kids further into poverty for the commercialism of the holiday!
Happy Bankruptcy to all and to all a long Poverty Stricken Year!
In saying the above its not Christmas per say that I am disagreeable with, its the Wal-martizm of the holiday that it has become that I HATE HATE HATE. Who in the name of all that is financially responsible started this trend of spending ridiculous sums of hard earned money in the name of what once was a celebration of the birth of a religious icon? I can understand wanting to show the ones you love how much you care but for facks sake even Jesus only got 3 bloody gifts!
I wish we lived in a society that wasn't so entrenched in the ideology of spend every penny you have and rack up bankruptcy levels of consumer debt to show people you care and lived more in a society of showing you care through spending time together as a family and doing something special for them. So to everyone out there to whom I do not wish merry Christmas or to whom feel shock and awe when I say to hell with Christmas its not that I don't care about you, its that I don't care for the commercialism of the holiday and would rather piss glass than bankrupt myself and force my kids further into poverty for the commercialism of the holiday!
Happy Bankruptcy to all and to all a long Poverty Stricken Year!
Hooligans in the Making
When I think back to my days of high school I often remember the various ways that certain students tried to get out of going to classes, sometimes taking the entire school down with them. The method of choice when attempting to mass vacate the school was to pull the fire alarm. It was virtually impossible to get caught given that the alarms were everywhere. After the alarm was pulled it was always mass chaos - we knew damned well that no one bothered to check the bathrooms until the firemen arrived and it was a great place to hang out in the winter and do all sorts of naughty things that we couldn't get away with otherwise. It wasn't like we were going to set off the alarms smoking in the bathrooms - they were all ready going. The greatest thrill was always getting escorted out of the bathrooms by a couple of hot firemen, definitely a thrill as a teenage girl with hormones raging.
What triggered my reminiscence is a comment that a friend on facebook left me. In our current era of paranoia and certainty that the average teenager is a psychopath hell bent on mass annihilation of his peers either by setting off explosives in our schools bathrooms or by showing up to school packing enough fire power to start and finish world war III single handedly, it seems that the schools are responding to the writing on the bathroom wall with a ridiculous amount of overkill of which I am sure we would have taken advantage of when we were young. As soon as the average teenager realizes that writing a bomb threat on a bathroom wall gets them out of school for a day as the teachers go into a complete nervous breakdown, "Oh My God Jonny Doe is going to knife us in third period and blow up the school", I am sure the cogs begin to turn and the joy of the ability to single handedly get the entire student population out of a day of classes becomes a source of great pride. The evidence of which is the mass of high schoolers that are no doubt gathered outside the school in the immediate aftermath giggling about someone getting them all a free pass for the day again. When this type of reaction to graffiti becomes a regular occurrence as is happening at St. James Collegiate and I am sure at any other number of schools in the city, it becomes a mockery of safety for the kids and undoubtedly a situation severely overblown by a paranoid faculty that is terrified of its student population.
And yet we continue to accept the school divisions spewing drivel about how safe the schools in Winnipeg are. If they are so safe, why the massive overreaction to bathroom graffiti? Or, maybe it is that the kids overall haven't turned en mass into the next Hitler or Ted Bundy but really are just as they have been for centuries, loving a free day off school granted to them by some harmless student with a slightly naughty streak in his or her personality who is bright enough to be able to manipulate the entire school faculty, and the Winnipeg Police service with a number 2 pencil? Lighten up Winnipeg!
What triggered my reminiscence is a comment that a friend on facebook left me. In our current era of paranoia and certainty that the average teenager is a psychopath hell bent on mass annihilation of his peers either by setting off explosives in our schools bathrooms or by showing up to school packing enough fire power to start and finish world war III single handedly, it seems that the schools are responding to the writing on the bathroom wall with a ridiculous amount of overkill of which I am sure we would have taken advantage of when we were young. As soon as the average teenager realizes that writing a bomb threat on a bathroom wall gets them out of school for a day as the teachers go into a complete nervous breakdown, "Oh My God Jonny Doe is going to knife us in third period and blow up the school", I am sure the cogs begin to turn and the joy of the ability to single handedly get the entire student population out of a day of classes becomes a source of great pride. The evidence of which is the mass of high schoolers that are no doubt gathered outside the school in the immediate aftermath giggling about someone getting them all a free pass for the day again. When this type of reaction to graffiti becomes a regular occurrence as is happening at St. James Collegiate and I am sure at any other number of schools in the city, it becomes a mockery of safety for the kids and undoubtedly a situation severely overblown by a paranoid faculty that is terrified of its student population.
And yet we continue to accept the school divisions spewing drivel about how safe the schools in Winnipeg are. If they are so safe, why the massive overreaction to bathroom graffiti? Or, maybe it is that the kids overall haven't turned en mass into the next Hitler or Ted Bundy but really are just as they have been for centuries, loving a free day off school granted to them by some harmless student with a slightly naughty streak in his or her personality who is bright enough to be able to manipulate the entire school faculty, and the Winnipeg Police service with a number 2 pencil? Lighten up Winnipeg!
Friday, December 10, 2010
School as a single parent
With Christmas on the horizon and tuition almost due for next semester I find myself thinking 'what the he'll am I thinking going back to school'? Wow school as a single mom Of 3 is something else. The class work is certainly not terribly difficult. I have yet to enter into a course that has been too much of a killer microeconomics aside. But really, the shear volume of work is brutal. Between my studying, my job, laundry, housework, chauffeuring my kids everywhere, swimming lessons, dance lessons, volunteering at the kids school, trying to squeeze every drop out of my seriously lacking social life that I can it's a wonder I can even get throuh one day let alone an entire school year.
However, to any single parent out there who is contemplating a return to school I say why not. As a single parent we face a set of disadvantages in life that no one else but a single parent faces or can even comprehend and the simple fact is those will exist whether or not we attempt to educate ourselves. Think about of this way; if you continue on the path you are on now, you may have or obtain stable employment that is acceptable. You may see a payraise or two. But as a single under-educated parent the best one can hope for is to be able to live paycheck to paycheck always one pay period away from homelessness. If however, you sacrifice what little free time you have, cut back everywhere you can and accept the fact of poverty for a few years - really no different than ones current reality anyways - then at least you will have something to be proud of. Children grow up just the same poor as they do rich, as long as they are healthy, taken care of and loved and the reward of giving them a goos role model of what hard work really is is worth the struggle , at least to me.
However, to any single parent out there who is contemplating a return to school I say why not. As a single parent we face a set of disadvantages in life that no one else but a single parent faces or can even comprehend and the simple fact is those will exist whether or not we attempt to educate ourselves. Think about of this way; if you continue on the path you are on now, you may have or obtain stable employment that is acceptable. You may see a payraise or two. But as a single under-educated parent the best one can hope for is to be able to live paycheck to paycheck always one pay period away from homelessness. If however, you sacrifice what little free time you have, cut back everywhere you can and accept the fact of poverty for a few years - really no different than ones current reality anyways - then at least you will have something to be proud of. Children grow up just the same poor as they do rich, as long as they are healthy, taken care of and loved and the reward of giving them a goos role model of what hard work really is is worth the struggle , at least to me.
Single moms and Friday night
Well here it is Friday night once again and I find myself at home listening to the quiet rustling of my children thankful everyone is safe and sound tucked into their beds. And yet I sit here as sleep iludes me not just a little disappointed they this is how I spend yet another Friday night.
The weekend can be a tough time for the single parent especially when you are a relatively young one. Now don't get me wrong I love my kids and would not even dream of not having them in my life, but there remains a certain jealousy of all the women in their thirties out there living it up with the freedom to come and go as they please. Mostly o just wish I could have waited a few years longer to start my family, maybe if I had I wouldn't now be living the life of a single mom.
So to all the young winnipegers out there and all single moms everywhere I lift my glass and say cheers! Have a great Friday night all.
The weekend can be a tough time for the single parent especially when you are a relatively young one. Now don't get me wrong I love my kids and would not even dream of not having them in my life, but there remains a certain jealousy of all the women in their thirties out there living it up with the freedom to come and go as they please. Mostly o just wish I could have waited a few years longer to start my family, maybe if I had I wouldn't now be living the life of a single mom.
So to all the young winnipegers out there and all single moms everywhere I lift my glass and say cheers! Have a great Friday night all.
Monday, November 29, 2010
American History X
I just finished watching American History X and am once again struck by the message this powerful movie portrays. Summed up in the final liturgy of the newly reformed little brother of the main character of the movie is the phrase "Hatred is baggage and life is to short to be pissed off all the time" is such a truth in my life. My whole life I have been surrounded by angry people with baggage dragging them down and causing them untold stress and damage to themselves and the relationships that they have with the people around them. I try to live my life as positive as possible and do my best to raise my children to be as aware of the damage both to themselves and collaterally that a racist and angry ideology presents.
I find it to be quite sad how even in today's world, attitudes and beliefs such as the neo-Nazism that so pollutes the family at the center of the movie, abound today in so many of the indiscriminate comments and seemingly benign actions of so many around me. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people in and around my life who will swear up and down that they are not racist or prejudice and yet can still off-handedly make snide remarks about a person's character that are fully based on the race into which they were born. What I can not understand is how a comment such as X race cannot drive, or W race are less intelligent than Y, or Z race are all racist people who hate the G race people are not seen as nothing but blatantly racist in nature by the people uttering them. Being a person who becomes very quickly offended and uncomfortable by such remarks I just do not get it.
Even in my daughters very multicultural school, where respect for self and others is an integral part of the curriculum above and beyond what any school I have seen before, there is a nasty undercurrent of racism that is starting to rear its ugly head. One may point fingers in this case at the children uttering the comments but the reality is that they heard these things outside of the school environment first. How sad that a parent would see themselves as having done no wrong in polluting their innocent child's developing mind, setting them up for a future of anger, distrust and potential hatred of what they do not understand. My hope for my child here is that she recognizes the pain that even the most innocuous of comments makes and refuses to be lead into believing that this type of behaviour is acceptable in any way. My greatest hope is that she will flourish into the type of young woman of whom I can be proud, one who stands up for her beliefs and will not accept such behaviour as common place. If she can be the type of person who is willing to say not me, and defend a friend who is subject to this type of subtle discrimination than I can stand up and say I have done a good job raising her. If tolerance and acceptance is not a crucial part of a child's developing identity, then their future can only be bleak at best. Success in the eyes of the world is meaningless if it comes at the cost of carrying the baggage of hatred with you throughout life.
In Canada we are blessed to have a wide variety of cultures and people. It is this variety of which the foundation of Canada is based at it is a thing that should be celebrated and not shunned. It would be a wonderful place to call home indeed if everyone could accept each and every one of us as a part of the whole and stop trying to fight for what they believe they are entitled to. We are all entitled after all to the same things, peace, happiness, acceptance and a chance to live a good life. Discrimination, racism and intolerance cannot allow for these to be accessible.
I find it to be quite sad how even in today's world, attitudes and beliefs such as the neo-Nazism that so pollutes the family at the center of the movie, abound today in so many of the indiscriminate comments and seemingly benign actions of so many around me. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people in and around my life who will swear up and down that they are not racist or prejudice and yet can still off-handedly make snide remarks about a person's character that are fully based on the race into which they were born. What I can not understand is how a comment such as X race cannot drive, or W race are less intelligent than Y, or Z race are all racist people who hate the G race people are not seen as nothing but blatantly racist in nature by the people uttering them. Being a person who becomes very quickly offended and uncomfortable by such remarks I just do not get it.
Even in my daughters very multicultural school, where respect for self and others is an integral part of the curriculum above and beyond what any school I have seen before, there is a nasty undercurrent of racism that is starting to rear its ugly head. One may point fingers in this case at the children uttering the comments but the reality is that they heard these things outside of the school environment first. How sad that a parent would see themselves as having done no wrong in polluting their innocent child's developing mind, setting them up for a future of anger, distrust and potential hatred of what they do not understand. My hope for my child here is that she recognizes the pain that even the most innocuous of comments makes and refuses to be lead into believing that this type of behaviour is acceptable in any way. My greatest hope is that she will flourish into the type of young woman of whom I can be proud, one who stands up for her beliefs and will not accept such behaviour as common place. If she can be the type of person who is willing to say not me, and defend a friend who is subject to this type of subtle discrimination than I can stand up and say I have done a good job raising her. If tolerance and acceptance is not a crucial part of a child's developing identity, then their future can only be bleak at best. Success in the eyes of the world is meaningless if it comes at the cost of carrying the baggage of hatred with you throughout life.
In Canada we are blessed to have a wide variety of cultures and people. It is this variety of which the foundation of Canada is based at it is a thing that should be celebrated and not shunned. It would be a wonderful place to call home indeed if everyone could accept each and every one of us as a part of the whole and stop trying to fight for what they believe they are entitled to. We are all entitled after all to the same things, peace, happiness, acceptance and a chance to live a good life. Discrimination, racism and intolerance cannot allow for these to be accessible.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Winnipeg and Winter Driving
Winter has definitely hit the Peg despite what the calender says. White, fluffy, cold, wet crap as far as the eye can see. With winter in Winnipeg invariably comes a nasty, irritable, need to smack stupid drivers in the back of the head that becomes almost overwhelming in its intensity whenever one hits the road in our quest for enlightenment, or maybe just to get to work. It always amazes at the beginning of the snow season how many people seem to have iq's that mysteriously drop a dozen or so points and they completely forget how to drive. Its not like this is the first time that Winnipeg has been bombarded by snow - we live locked in a deep freeze 6 months or more out of the year.
Sometimes when driving one must just shake their head in amazement at the utter stupidity in the world and laugh at some of the comical errors in judgement one sees.
Irony has caught up to many drivers I have passed on the roads in the last two days and I have to say that I giggled more than once in my travels. Yesterday for instance I saw a Boyd Autobody car that generally is usually used as a courtesy car for people having body work on their cars done crashed close to my home into a tree. Apart from the not-so-awesome parking job I had to giggle to myself about the irony of crashing the courtesy car someone was driving after more than likely crashing their own car. Maybe this person needs to take the bus? I am just saying if you suck at winter driving that bad then say hello to transit tom!!
I have to also say I take secret pride in passing people stuck in the ruts at a controlled skid watching their anguished faces as I skid past them in my Neon - the look on the driver of the 4x4 I did that to today was PRICELESS!! Again, maybe winter driving wasn't his thing? Seriously, it must be pretty humbling when you get your 4x4 stuck in the middle of the road big man that you are just to have a little blond woman in a crappy little NEON have NO trouble what-so-ever passing you! Ah the joys of winter driving! I can honestly say its the best part of winter in my mind and way too much fun. Happy driving Winnipeg!
Sometimes when driving one must just shake their head in amazement at the utter stupidity in the world and laugh at some of the comical errors in judgement one sees.
Irony has caught up to many drivers I have passed on the roads in the last two days and I have to say that I giggled more than once in my travels. Yesterday for instance I saw a Boyd Autobody car that generally is usually used as a courtesy car for people having body work on their cars done crashed close to my home into a tree. Apart from the not-so-awesome parking job I had to giggle to myself about the irony of crashing the courtesy car someone was driving after more than likely crashing their own car. Maybe this person needs to take the bus? I am just saying if you suck at winter driving that bad then say hello to transit tom!!
I have to also say I take secret pride in passing people stuck in the ruts at a controlled skid watching their anguished faces as I skid past them in my Neon - the look on the driver of the 4x4 I did that to today was PRICELESS!! Again, maybe winter driving wasn't his thing? Seriously, it must be pretty humbling when you get your 4x4 stuck in the middle of the road big man that you are just to have a little blond woman in a crappy little NEON have NO trouble what-so-ever passing you! Ah the joys of winter driving! I can honestly say its the best part of winter in my mind and way too much fun. Happy driving Winnipeg!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Dylan O'Connors or PortageReview
Dylan O'Connors Irish Pub on Portage avenue inWinnipeg is a friendly little pub with a distinctive if not stereotypical Irish feel. This past Tuesday evening, a few people and myself had occasion to go to Dylan's for the evening to check out some of the local bands. The evening was enjoyable and Dylan's left a decent impression.
This little pub's staff are quick and courteous in establish their clientele's wants and gave of an air of professionalism rarely seen in today's night scene establishments. There was no single moment during the evening where any of us in attendance had to look for a server or wait for service at the bar. Staff were prompt, courteous and efficient as well as being genuinely friendly.
The atmosphere in Dylan's is for the most part a comfortable one that makes for a decent meeting place amongst friends. The classic pub feel works well without feeling garish or overdone. There was one downside however and that is that the temperature within the pub was highly unsatisfactory and was extremely cold. Given that we are in a very cold city this is a key factor in the comfort level of ones clients and most likely needs to be addressed.
Overall the evening was a good one and the atmosphere was enjoyable and I would consider visiting this particular establishment again.
Peggermom's Score = 3 out of 5
The music options
This little pub's staff are quick and courteous in establish their clientele's wants and gave of an air of professionalism rarely seen in today's night scene establishments. There was no single moment during the evening where any of us in attendance had to look for a server or wait for service at the bar. Staff were prompt, courteous and efficient as well as being genuinely friendly.
The atmosphere in Dylan's is for the most part a comfortable one that makes for a decent meeting place amongst friends. The classic pub feel works well without feeling garish or overdone. There was one downside however and that is that the temperature within the pub was highly unsatisfactory and was extremely cold. Given that we are in a very cold city this is a key factor in the comfort level of ones clients and most likely needs to be addressed.
Overall the evening was a good one and the atmosphere was enjoyable and I would consider visiting this particular establishment again.
Peggermom's Score = 3 out of 5
The music options
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Eva and Me
In 5 days of having Netflix I believe my family has watched about 15 movies on Netflix proving definitively that the minimal cost of 7.99 a month is well worth the price. In fact we have actually reduced our cable package down to basic because we don't seem to have the time to watch cable anymore what with the variety of options available on Netflix. The only downside at this point with Netflix is that the selection of movies is a little off from what the mainstream assortment of available titles is on MTS or Shaw's pay-per-view channels or from movie rental stores such as Rogers or Blockbuster. However in saying that, there is a selection of movies that although not necessarily big-screen hits are non the less very entertaining. What I appreciate the most is the wide selection of family appropriate movies and TV series available such as Dora the Explorer and Thomas the Train episodes. I thankfully have a reason to hibernate this winter.
The last movie that we watched as a family on Netflix was Marley and Me. The lead character in the movie is a lovable, disaster stricken, bull in a china shop type destructive Labrador named Marley. What I found most endearing about this particular mutt were the similarities to our own tornado on four legs Eva. Eva is a 24 pound whirlwind of destruction that must chew and destroy or fail to thrive or so it seems. Lessons that I have learned from my dog include the following; vitamin E cream makes for a great laxative, photo-albums taste great, chairs can be pushed up to the stove to be climbed on so that one little mutt can lick out the frying pans after Sunday breakfast, rawhide's are wonderful and leather couches taste just as good, cats are to be chased, dogs on TV need to be barked at and are definitely hiding somewhere in the speakers of the stereo hooked up to it, likewise babies crying on TV are also hiding in the speakers and must be found, crayons, balloons, tinfoil, garbage, socks, socks, and more socks the dirtier the better, pens, pencils, hair brushes, tooth brushes, wrapping paper, china cabinets, shoes especially flip flops, pillows, wooden rocking chairs, and dry pasta taste great. One other lesson I have learned from this little master of destruction is one of the main reasons that we will have her for the rest of her life is that my children can do no wrong with her and will always be forgiven for sitting on her, pulling her ears and yanking on her tail. As far as this mom is concerned however, the fact that this little dog will be the perfect alarm to notify me when my children are up to no good however is the ultimate advantage to having this particular dog. My children cannot go near the front or back doors without the dog crying up a storm and if they try to go outside she barks her crazy little head off. Good luck sneaking out in the future kids!
Much as the family in the movie Marley and Me could not imagine their lives without Marley, despite his idiosyncrasies and destructive yet loving nature, neither could I imagine not having our little dog that we refer to as "the Goat" in our lives. Having something such as a little dog that knows how to love unconditionally in the life of a family is a wonderful experience and worth having irregardless of the issues that come with dog ownership. Besides, by the time Eva stops eating the furniture in my house, IKEA will be in Winnipeg and I will have the perfect excuse to buy new furniture.
The last movie that we watched as a family on Netflix was Marley and Me. The lead character in the movie is a lovable, disaster stricken, bull in a china shop type destructive Labrador named Marley. What I found most endearing about this particular mutt were the similarities to our own tornado on four legs Eva. Eva is a 24 pound whirlwind of destruction that must chew and destroy or fail to thrive or so it seems. Lessons that I have learned from my dog include the following; vitamin E cream makes for a great laxative, photo-albums taste great, chairs can be pushed up to the stove to be climbed on so that one little mutt can lick out the frying pans after Sunday breakfast, rawhide's are wonderful and leather couches taste just as good, cats are to be chased, dogs on TV need to be barked at and are definitely hiding somewhere in the speakers of the stereo hooked up to it, likewise babies crying on TV are also hiding in the speakers and must be found, crayons, balloons, tinfoil, garbage, socks, socks, and more socks the dirtier the better, pens, pencils, hair brushes, tooth brushes, wrapping paper, china cabinets, shoes especially flip flops, pillows, wooden rocking chairs, and dry pasta taste great. One other lesson I have learned from this little master of destruction is one of the main reasons that we will have her for the rest of her life is that my children can do no wrong with her and will always be forgiven for sitting on her, pulling her ears and yanking on her tail. As far as this mom is concerned however, the fact that this little dog will be the perfect alarm to notify me when my children are up to no good however is the ultimate advantage to having this particular dog. My children cannot go near the front or back doors without the dog crying up a storm and if they try to go outside she barks her crazy little head off. Good luck sneaking out in the future kids!
Much as the family in the movie Marley and Me could not imagine their lives without Marley, despite his idiosyncrasies and destructive yet loving nature, neither could I imagine not having our little dog that we refer to as "the Goat" in our lives. Having something such as a little dog that knows how to love unconditionally in the life of a family is a wonderful experience and worth having irregardless of the issues that come with dog ownership. Besides, by the time Eva stops eating the furniture in my house, IKEA will be in Winnipeg and I will have the perfect excuse to buy new furniture.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Halloween Birthday Party
I am sitting in my house at the moment enjoying the peace and quiet secretly dreading Saturday yet looking forward to it at the same time. Saturday, gate night, is the day that I as the good mom I am trying to be decided to throw a halloween dress up party for my youngest son's 5th birthday. Sigh..... think the migrane is kicking in allready. A room full to capacity of 5 and 6 year old kids hopped up on sugar and cake for 2 hours under my direct supervision - WHY MUST I DO THIS TO MYSELF??
Lol all kidding aside I am looking forward to this party for some pretty big reasons! 1) Halloween is the best holiday of the entire year! What could be better than going door to door with kids who are too young to be able to count (and thus notice there are a few less chocolate bars in their bags the next day) trick-or-treating? Yummy chocolate, chips, licorice, etc... 2) This tends to be a hard time of year for our family as this October represents 4 years since my husband and the father of our children passed away and celebrating in style with an occasion such as a halloween party is a great way to boost spirits, especially for kids. and 3) due to financial constraints, moving and the maturity level of my youngest in pervious years this is his first full out birthday party and I am loving every minute of his countdown to his "Halloween Birthday"!
This party, 5 years in the making is going to be alot of fun. Pop, chips and a space alien birthday cake, kids in costumes, prizes for games they will play, what could be more fun for a 5 year old! Still once the fun is over I will be glad to be done for another 6 months before the next child has their birthday. Planned it well this year though, its not every year that Halloween comes 2 days in a row for kids.
Lol all kidding aside I am looking forward to this party for some pretty big reasons! 1) Halloween is the best holiday of the entire year! What could be better than going door to door with kids who are too young to be able to count (and thus notice there are a few less chocolate bars in their bags the next day) trick-or-treating? Yummy chocolate, chips, licorice, etc... 2) This tends to be a hard time of year for our family as this October represents 4 years since my husband and the father of our children passed away and celebrating in style with an occasion such as a halloween party is a great way to boost spirits, especially for kids. and 3) due to financial constraints, moving and the maturity level of my youngest in pervious years this is his first full out birthday party and I am loving every minute of his countdown to his "Halloween Birthday"!
This party, 5 years in the making is going to be alot of fun. Pop, chips and a space alien birthday cake, kids in costumes, prizes for games they will play, what could be more fun for a 5 year old! Still once the fun is over I will be glad to be done for another 6 months before the next child has their birthday. Planned it well this year though, its not every year that Halloween comes 2 days in a row for kids.
And the winner is.... Sam Katz
The end of October is nearly here and what a month it has been for the city of Winnipeg.
The major source of news for our city has been the recent civic election where our current Mayor Sam Katz was voted in for a third term. Good or bad his being re-elected it is what it is. Unfortunately in his being voted in we lose a well respected MP in the failure of the Judy team to gain sufficient support to replace Sam. Irregardless of where a persons loyalties lay, I believe that Winnipeg may have been cheated of the chance for change. We currently live in the most violent city in the entire country and these stats continue to rise. Under Mr. Katz's rule we have seen a series of promises that have seemed to good to be true prove to be exactly that - too good to be true. Millions of dollars in Provincial funds given for projects like the rapid transit fiasco have been diverted to other projects. Contracts have been signed in secrecy without the input of the constituants involved, and violent crime has risen dramatically.
During Mr. Katz's current campaign, many promises were made such as a continuation of the current property tax freeze which based on an economic perspective is unsustainable. One need only look at the state of our roads and the consequences of an inadequate police force to see that more injection of cash is needed desperately in these areas to see improvement. Additional police officers on the streets and a heightened police presence in the gang plagued north end along with a police helicopter were touted by our illustrious mayor during his campaign, and although that sounds great, the reality is can we trust him to keep his word? Based on his propensity to change his mind and divert funds dedicated to projects and campaign promises elsewhere I sure hope for the city of Winnipeg's sake we can. Good or bad however, we are stuck with him for another term.
The unfortunate reality here is we will never actually know as a city who the real mayor would have been had it not been for the state of apathy in which many of the eligible voters here in our city are in. Many hundreds of thousands of eligible voters did not turn out on voting day. Maybe it was the weather which sure was terrible, but more than likely it was a combination of the same mix of emotions seen in this city in every election. Why should I bother; My vote won't make a difference; its too cold out; I just don't care...etc. Whatever the answer is, we will never know and Winnipeg will no doubt continue to elect a mayor because the majority of voters quite simply are upper middle class people. Hopefully next time the election comes around, we will have a better showing at the poles. What ever it is worth congradulations Sam Katz, don't let us down (again).
The major source of news for our city has been the recent civic election where our current Mayor Sam Katz was voted in for a third term. Good or bad his being re-elected it is what it is. Unfortunately in his being voted in we lose a well respected MP in the failure of the Judy team to gain sufficient support to replace Sam. Irregardless of where a persons loyalties lay, I believe that Winnipeg may have been cheated of the chance for change. We currently live in the most violent city in the entire country and these stats continue to rise. Under Mr. Katz's rule we have seen a series of promises that have seemed to good to be true prove to be exactly that - too good to be true. Millions of dollars in Provincial funds given for projects like the rapid transit fiasco have been diverted to other projects. Contracts have been signed in secrecy without the input of the constituants involved, and violent crime has risen dramatically.
During Mr. Katz's current campaign, many promises were made such as a continuation of the current property tax freeze which based on an economic perspective is unsustainable. One need only look at the state of our roads and the consequences of an inadequate police force to see that more injection of cash is needed desperately in these areas to see improvement. Additional police officers on the streets and a heightened police presence in the gang plagued north end along with a police helicopter were touted by our illustrious mayor during his campaign, and although that sounds great, the reality is can we trust him to keep his word? Based on his propensity to change his mind and divert funds dedicated to projects and campaign promises elsewhere I sure hope for the city of Winnipeg's sake we can. Good or bad however, we are stuck with him for another term.
The unfortunate reality here is we will never actually know as a city who the real mayor would have been had it not been for the state of apathy in which many of the eligible voters here in our city are in. Many hundreds of thousands of eligible voters did not turn out on voting day. Maybe it was the weather which sure was terrible, but more than likely it was a combination of the same mix of emotions seen in this city in every election. Why should I bother; My vote won't make a difference; its too cold out; I just don't care...etc. Whatever the answer is, we will never know and Winnipeg will no doubt continue to elect a mayor because the majority of voters quite simply are upper middle class people. Hopefully next time the election comes around, we will have a better showing at the poles. What ever it is worth congradulations Sam Katz, don't let us down (again).
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Dirt poor tip of the day!
Tried out this supper cheap supper yummy recipe tonight thinking I would have leftovers for tomorrow. I am guessing by the fact that an entire crock pot full of it is gone that it was a complete hit with my kids!
Noodle Soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or any other cream based soup probably)
1 - 2 cups of any kind of noodles, I used the shell kind
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp bacon bits
1 cup of milk
Dump all of the above into a crock pot and turn on high - by the time you get back from picking up the kids from school and getting all the bags and books put away it should be done - about an hour and a half give or take. Soup is done when the noodles are the firmness that you like.
Noodle Soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or any other cream based soup probably)
1 - 2 cups of any kind of noodles, I used the shell kind
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp bacon bits
1 cup of milk
Dump all of the above into a crock pot and turn on high - by the time you get back from picking up the kids from school and getting all the bags and books put away it should be done - about an hour and a half give or take. Soup is done when the noodles are the firmness that you like.
Manitoba Women and Poverty
Manitoba is a province of inequity. For those that are single men or women, Manitoba represents a multitude of opportunities to get ahead. There are no shortage of jobs, despite what some people in the media and politics would like us to believe. All one has to do to confirm this is look of the HRDC website or in the weekend edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. The job opportunities may not be ones ideal, or their first pick but they are there non-the-less. For two income families, again Manitoba can represent a promise of a decent life. Low property taxes and home values in comparison to other large cities and again an abundance of jobs represent affordable living opportunities and career advancement. Daycare may be an issue, but generally speaking private daycare exists and is within the means of most dual income earning families. Private daycare may not be a desired expense but it is doable. And then there comes the single parents.
Single parents, moms in particular are the at the bottom of the barrel of opportunities in this province. Private daycare on a single income is simply not possible and the wait lists for licenced subsidized daycare are in most cases years long and as a rule are only available to those working a regular day job and are completely unavailable to those who work shift work. We have in our province an unfathomable amount of women and thus children living in poverty and often times living on Welfare. Unfortunately we live in a society that re-victimizes victims and refuses to acknowledge that it is largely our social structure that has caused this to be so in the first place.
Take for instance a woman who is the sole supporter of 2 children for whatever reason. How she got to be a single mother is irrelevant. Lets just say in our example that one of her children has issues with behaviour as many children living in poverty unfortunately do. No lets say this mom has never been on welfare and fights every day to stay off of it but has no education past high school and cannot find a daycare centre willing to take her child with behaviour issues. What does she do? Get a job many would say. Sure that can be done, but with no daycare who watches her kids? She can get her kids on as many daycare wait lists as possible but what happens when her kids end up school age and she is limited even further in available daycare centres. Another question is what kid of job is she actually going to be able to get with only a high school education? More than likely it would not be a Monday to Friday day job that would be compatible with daycare hours even if she could get a daycare spot for her child with behaviour issues.
So, now we will say she has found daycare and a regular job and has beaten the odds substantially. What happens when her daycare will not take her children because they have a temperature, or the flu? Obviously she stays home, losing pay for the missed day but due to our daycare regulations still having to pay for the daycare spot her child is not using. What happens to her job if her child ends up with more than one cold in the cold and flu season? Will she be lucky enough to have a caring and compassionate boss? More than likely given her lack of skills she will risk losing her job as unskilled workers are a dime a dozen in our province and can readily be replaced.
A common argument in a case like this would be to say she should go back to school. Most single mothers have neither the time, money, or credit rating to facilitate going back to school. To be able to upgrade ones education one must be able to support themselves while in school. For a single mother giving up even one days pay from work is painful and the thought of having to give up significantly more is not a possibility. Savings are not likely to be an option as it is virtually impossible to save money when you live paycheck to paycheck and are never more than a paycheck away from homelessness. Credit to obtain student loans government or bank is nothing but a fantasy for most as many impoverished single parents have killed their credit ratings at some point in the past either through payday loans or credit cards that could not be paid off. Please note that in alot of cases these debts would be racked up on items like groceries and bus passes not TVs and cars.
Now what? We have a province that is so severe in its inequitable treatment of single parents that many are on and stay on welfare because it is the only sure way to keep from starving and most single mothers despite the attitudes of the haves in this province do not wish to be on welfare and really do want better for their children. Increases to daycare funding and regulation of daycare centres acceptance policies for what children they take are key here, as are better access to training opportunities that will gain women employment in jobs they can actually work, i.e. day jobs compatible with daycare. All the job training in the world would be worthless if the mother in our above example were not able to coordinate daycare and work. Regulated hours that daycares can be open to include shift workers and people who start work earlier is also necessary. Many jobs start before 7 am but most daycares in Manitoba open after 7. Most importantly however is needed a shift in our collective consciousness in this province away from one that blames single parents for their situations to one that supports getting them to a point where they are self sufficient and self reliant.
The next time that you hear in the news the statistics about women and children in poverty in Winnipeg, think a little deeper about what has put them there. Change begins with thought versus knee jerk reactions based on societal beliefs.
Single parents, moms in particular are the at the bottom of the barrel of opportunities in this province. Private daycare on a single income is simply not possible and the wait lists for licenced subsidized daycare are in most cases years long and as a rule are only available to those working a regular day job and are completely unavailable to those who work shift work. We have in our province an unfathomable amount of women and thus children living in poverty and often times living on Welfare. Unfortunately we live in a society that re-victimizes victims and refuses to acknowledge that it is largely our social structure that has caused this to be so in the first place.
Take for instance a woman who is the sole supporter of 2 children for whatever reason. How she got to be a single mother is irrelevant. Lets just say in our example that one of her children has issues with behaviour as many children living in poverty unfortunately do. No lets say this mom has never been on welfare and fights every day to stay off of it but has no education past high school and cannot find a daycare centre willing to take her child with behaviour issues. What does she do? Get a job many would say. Sure that can be done, but with no daycare who watches her kids? She can get her kids on as many daycare wait lists as possible but what happens when her kids end up school age and she is limited even further in available daycare centres. Another question is what kid of job is she actually going to be able to get with only a high school education? More than likely it would not be a Monday to Friday day job that would be compatible with daycare hours even if she could get a daycare spot for her child with behaviour issues.
So, now we will say she has found daycare and a regular job and has beaten the odds substantially. What happens when her daycare will not take her children because they have a temperature, or the flu? Obviously she stays home, losing pay for the missed day but due to our daycare regulations still having to pay for the daycare spot her child is not using. What happens to her job if her child ends up with more than one cold in the cold and flu season? Will she be lucky enough to have a caring and compassionate boss? More than likely given her lack of skills she will risk losing her job as unskilled workers are a dime a dozen in our province and can readily be replaced.
A common argument in a case like this would be to say she should go back to school. Most single mothers have neither the time, money, or credit rating to facilitate going back to school. To be able to upgrade ones education one must be able to support themselves while in school. For a single mother giving up even one days pay from work is painful and the thought of having to give up significantly more is not a possibility. Savings are not likely to be an option as it is virtually impossible to save money when you live paycheck to paycheck and are never more than a paycheck away from homelessness. Credit to obtain student loans government or bank is nothing but a fantasy for most as many impoverished single parents have killed their credit ratings at some point in the past either through payday loans or credit cards that could not be paid off. Please note that in alot of cases these debts would be racked up on items like groceries and bus passes not TVs and cars.
Now what? We have a province that is so severe in its inequitable treatment of single parents that many are on and stay on welfare because it is the only sure way to keep from starving and most single mothers despite the attitudes of the haves in this province do not wish to be on welfare and really do want better for their children. Increases to daycare funding and regulation of daycare centres acceptance policies for what children they take are key here, as are better access to training opportunities that will gain women employment in jobs they can actually work, i.e. day jobs compatible with daycare. All the job training in the world would be worthless if the mother in our above example were not able to coordinate daycare and work. Regulated hours that daycares can be open to include shift workers and people who start work earlier is also necessary. Many jobs start before 7 am but most daycares in Manitoba open after 7. Most importantly however is needed a shift in our collective consciousness in this province away from one that blames single parents for their situations to one that supports getting them to a point where they are self sufficient and self reliant.
The next time that you hear in the news the statistics about women and children in poverty in Winnipeg, think a little deeper about what has put them there. Change begins with thought versus knee jerk reactions based on societal beliefs.
Manitoba Housing Hell Part 2
Amazing how yet again in a matter of days there is another report of a crime involving the Tuxedo area Manitoba Housing Complex. This time a high speed chase by police in pursuit of a Neon reaching speeds in excess of 160 kilometers per hour is reported. Although initially when reading the article found in the Winnipeg Sun about the chase in Charleswood does not seem to involve Manitoba Housing, a simple knowledge of the whereabouts of particular complexes brings to light the involvement of Housing. The fact that the car was found abandoned in the 300 block of Doncaster st. aka the Tuxedo Manitoba Housing complex blatantly exposes the involvement of the less savory residents of that complex ruining the chance for affordable safe housing for those that deserve it. My guess is that the people involved in stealing this car and risking the lives of everyone they recklessly drove by on their race through Charleswood are people of whom many complaints have been made. And yet, even if they get caught red handed, there is little chance of repercussion from the Manitoba Housing Authority.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Manitoba Housing Hell
Last February after a year of living in fear and having to drive around the block a few times after I got home from an evening shift to make sure that my neighbours were not outside making a drug deal before pulling into my parking lot I moved my family into a much better housing situation. It never ceases to amaze me now how many times in the news it is reported that there was a beating, murder, drug bust etcetera in any of a number of Manitoba Housing complexes here in the city of Winnipeg.
The aim of Manitoba Housing was at one time to provide sustainable,not for profit, suitable housing for those residents and families of Manitoba who for whatever reason were not able to afford decent housing on their own. This included those on welfare, single income earning families, those on disability and others who could not work or were underpaid and needed subsidized housing. However, Manitoba Housing complexes at least in this city have become nothing but a nightmare for those who have no other options and a haven for illicit criminal activity for those who choose to abuse the system.
Take for instance the recent Meth lab bust in the Tuxedo Housing complex. This happens to be the complex that I moved my family out of and for me this story recently reported in the Winnipeg Sun and Winnipeg Free Press newspapers brings a feeling of distaste and ire for having to have lived in the same complex as the lowlifes that felt it was ok to endanger their neighbours and their own children. However, this also brings no surprise whatsoever. It was a daily thing living in that complex to see vandalism of peoples cars in the parking lot in broad daylight by the children of uncaring and missing parents living there, drug deals out behind my unit completely out in the open, pot smokers standing around smoking joints with no fear of reprecussion, children and teens dismanteling stolen bikes for the fun of it and then tossing the remains in the trash, and the list goes on. I refused to be one of the people there who let this kind of thing happen without reporting it and regularily did. Only once when I called the Housing after hours contact number did security ever show up. This despite repeated calls. Never did I see any representative from Manitoba Housing deal with any of my complaints including those that were of blatently criminal activities. All of the people of whom complaints were made are still living in that complex.
Add to these issues were two more completely unaddressed reasons for our departure from this housing complex. The first was that my daughter was routinely being threatened by our neighbours children who decided for whatever reason they hated her. My poor daughter could not even step out of her own house without me being with her. The second and certainly one of the biggest reasons that we moved was the constant battle with Manitoba Housing to spray for bugs. Yes, disgusting as it is having a home infested with beetles, grain beetles, spiders and yes the dreaded bed bugs, Manitoba Housing refused for 3 months to acknowledge there was a problem and I had to fight continuously and threaten to go public before they finally conceded and sprayed our apartment. After the second round of spraying I said to hell with it and moved - not before I saturated everything I owned with raid. Thankfully the bugs have not followed us and we now have a safe, affordable home in a great neighbourhood with great neighbours.
Until the powers that be in Manitoba Housing start cracking down on the wrong doers living within the housing complexes, and go back to what housing was meant to be, housing will continue to be nothing but an embarasment to the residents that really need to be there and the rest of the city that suffers from the spill over effect of the riffraf that occupies some of their suites. Having on site management and 24/7 security guards AT EACH SITE and not shared amongst half the city is the bare minimum needed to start. Of course the likelyhood of this ever happening is slim to none as poor people tend to be the least likely to speak up for themselves.
The aim of Manitoba Housing was at one time to provide sustainable,not for profit, suitable housing for those residents and families of Manitoba who for whatever reason were not able to afford decent housing on their own. This included those on welfare, single income earning families, those on disability and others who could not work or were underpaid and needed subsidized housing. However, Manitoba Housing complexes at least in this city have become nothing but a nightmare for those who have no other options and a haven for illicit criminal activity for those who choose to abuse the system.
Take for instance the recent Meth lab bust in the Tuxedo Housing complex. This happens to be the complex that I moved my family out of and for me this story recently reported in the Winnipeg Sun and Winnipeg Free Press newspapers brings a feeling of distaste and ire for having to have lived in the same complex as the lowlifes that felt it was ok to endanger their neighbours and their own children. However, this also brings no surprise whatsoever. It was a daily thing living in that complex to see vandalism of peoples cars in the parking lot in broad daylight by the children of uncaring and missing parents living there, drug deals out behind my unit completely out in the open, pot smokers standing around smoking joints with no fear of reprecussion, children and teens dismanteling stolen bikes for the fun of it and then tossing the remains in the trash, and the list goes on. I refused to be one of the people there who let this kind of thing happen without reporting it and regularily did. Only once when I called the Housing after hours contact number did security ever show up. This despite repeated calls. Never did I see any representative from Manitoba Housing deal with any of my complaints including those that were of blatently criminal activities. All of the people of whom complaints were made are still living in that complex.
Add to these issues were two more completely unaddressed reasons for our departure from this housing complex. The first was that my daughter was routinely being threatened by our neighbours children who decided for whatever reason they hated her. My poor daughter could not even step out of her own house without me being with her. The second and certainly one of the biggest reasons that we moved was the constant battle with Manitoba Housing to spray for bugs. Yes, disgusting as it is having a home infested with beetles, grain beetles, spiders and yes the dreaded bed bugs, Manitoba Housing refused for 3 months to acknowledge there was a problem and I had to fight continuously and threaten to go public before they finally conceded and sprayed our apartment. After the second round of spraying I said to hell with it and moved - not before I saturated everything I owned with raid. Thankfully the bugs have not followed us and we now have a safe, affordable home in a great neighbourhood with great neighbours.
Until the powers that be in Manitoba Housing start cracking down on the wrong doers living within the housing complexes, and go back to what housing was meant to be, housing will continue to be nothing but an embarasment to the residents that really need to be there and the rest of the city that suffers from the spill over effect of the riffraf that occupies some of their suites. Having on site management and 24/7 security guards AT EACH SITE and not shared amongst half the city is the bare minimum needed to start. Of course the likelyhood of this ever happening is slim to none as poor people tend to be the least likely to speak up for themselves.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Shame on Winnipeg
So today there is an article in the Winnipeg Sun newspaper here in Winnipeg in regards to a man who beat up his wife and is now sitting in the Remand centre. At first glance it seems that that is exactly where he belongs, on further inspection however, the Winnipeg Polices service should be seriously ashamed of themselves for arresting him in the first place. It seems that this man, who is now sitting in jail has alzheimers at such an advanced state that he asaulted his wife because he had no idea who she was. Working in a hospital, I see this type of fear and misplaced hostility in many of our alzheimers patients. I cannot even begin to imagine how scarry the world must be to a person who has no idea where he is, who anyone taking care of him is including his own family, is suffering panic attacks because of this and can even be so out of touch with reality that he doesn't even know exactly who he is anymore. This man's wife is now going public with her story to try and get help for her husband who is being incarcerated for an action which she firmly believes and medical research strongly suggests was not within his control.
Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard, who has taken up the family's cause, called the situation "appalling."
"The system should be operating so that there are places for people like Joe McLeod," Gerrard said. "He should never have ended up in jail in the first place, (but now) as fast as humanly possible he should be placed in an appropriate care home."
Would be nice if this were not anything but lip service......
The most shameful part of this story is the lack of appropriate services for a man such as this. It makes me wonder how many people are aware in the province of Manitoba that nursing homes and other care centres outside of hospitals are under no obligation whatsoever to take in a patient. From personal experince I know that nursing homes in this province get the opportunity to pick and choose who they will take and under what conditions. Due to the violence this man enflicted on his wife, his chances of being given housing in a personal care centre within this province are slim to none. If he doesn't die in jail, this mans family will be forced to endure watching him live out his final days in one of the city's hospitals. The amount of senours in this city who pass away in hospital waiting for a nursing home to accept them is astonishing. Until the province of Manitoba passes a law requiring nursing homes to take the patients that have been paneled for care, this will continue to happen. Its time for families such as this man's family to stand up and demand equality in nursing home placements. If a person has a right to adequate care as they age then the right of nursing homes to turn down patients that aren't within thier preferences needs to be abolished.
Shame on the Provincial Government of Manitoba for allowing such practices and shame on the Winnipeg Police service for arresting this man in the first place.
I wish the McLeod family the best of luck in thier struggle to get this man the help he needs.
Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard, who has taken up the family's cause, called the situation "appalling."
"The system should be operating so that there are places for people like Joe McLeod," Gerrard said. "He should never have ended up in jail in the first place, (but now) as fast as humanly possible he should be placed in an appropriate care home."
Would be nice if this were not anything but lip service......
The most shameful part of this story is the lack of appropriate services for a man such as this. It makes me wonder how many people are aware in the province of Manitoba that nursing homes and other care centres outside of hospitals are under no obligation whatsoever to take in a patient. From personal experince I know that nursing homes in this province get the opportunity to pick and choose who they will take and under what conditions. Due to the violence this man enflicted on his wife, his chances of being given housing in a personal care centre within this province are slim to none. If he doesn't die in jail, this mans family will be forced to endure watching him live out his final days in one of the city's hospitals. The amount of senours in this city who pass away in hospital waiting for a nursing home to accept them is astonishing. Until the province of Manitoba passes a law requiring nursing homes to take the patients that have been paneled for care, this will continue to happen. Its time for families such as this man's family to stand up and demand equality in nursing home placements. If a person has a right to adequate care as they age then the right of nursing homes to turn down patients that aren't within thier preferences needs to be abolished.
Shame on the Provincial Government of Manitoba for allowing such practices and shame on the Winnipeg Police service for arresting this man in the first place.
I wish the McLeod family the best of luck in thier struggle to get this man the help he needs.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Homemade fabric softener
Running out of fabric softener many times and consulting a number of do it yourself guides has lead to me developing an extremely cheap and effective fabric softener.
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 liter hot water.
Using a washed out pop bottle works good with this recipe, as does using an empty fabric softner bottle that holds at least a liter and a half (the nice side effect here is that your new homemade softner contains some of the smell of the old), pour the 1 liter of hot water into the bottle. Add the vinegar. For the next step use a kitchen funnel and put the bottle in the sink. Pouring VERY SLOWLY to avoid massive spill over when adding the baking soda - due to the vinegar, add the baking soda to the mix. After the soda is in the bottle and the fizzing has died down, put the lid on the bottle and gently shake it until all the contents are well mixed. Note that adding the water first can help make the fizzing a little less extreme, but the actual order of ingredients is not really important. When using this fabric softner, give the bottle a good shake to stir everything up as the soda will settle and use a cup per load the same as you would regular fabric softner. Yes I have used this in a Downey Ball successfuly!
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 liter hot water.
Using a washed out pop bottle works good with this recipe, as does using an empty fabric softner bottle that holds at least a liter and a half (the nice side effect here is that your new homemade softner contains some of the smell of the old), pour the 1 liter of hot water into the bottle. Add the vinegar. For the next step use a kitchen funnel and put the bottle in the sink. Pouring VERY SLOWLY to avoid massive spill over when adding the baking soda - due to the vinegar, add the baking soda to the mix. After the soda is in the bottle and the fizzing has died down, put the lid on the bottle and gently shake it until all the contents are well mixed. Note that adding the water first can help make the fizzing a little less extreme, but the actual order of ingredients is not really important. When using this fabric softner, give the bottle a good shake to stir everything up as the soda will settle and use a cup per load the same as you would regular fabric softner. Yes I have used this in a Downey Ball successfuly!
Thank Goodness for full time Kindergarden
So October is here and I am finally settling into this idea of having all my kids in school full time. Wow what a novelty having some time to myself. The only issue now is what do I do with my time? Funny thing, this being a single mom thing. We spend so much of our time working so hard trying to keep ahead of the game and maintain order in our crazy busy lives, that when it finally comes down to that wonderful time when we actually have that illusive hour or two free, it seems hard to figure out what to do. There is of course the obvious, laundry, cleaning, dishes, etc. etc. but is that really necessary? With having a history of so little time to ourselves, us single moms need to rediscover what it means to just sit back and relax. So to all the moms out there finally finding an hour of peace and quiet, the laundry will wait, grab a coffee, sit back, put your feet up and relish the quiet!
Monday, October 4, 2010
To my readers
My sincerest appologies in regards to the formating of the text in my next couple of blogs - my computer has crashed and my Blackberry does not support this site well - but still I will write on!
Enough with the false sympathy already
As a single mom the two most common phrases that I hear are
1) Don't worry things will get better and 2)how do you do it?
Both of these phrases are esentially benign and are meant to
portray, at least I am sure on the part of the person saying
them, a sense of caring and concern for my welfare. As much as
this may be the case they are two phrases I am very tired of hearing.
Don't worry, things will get better.
Really? This one is problematic for the main reason that most people
that I know have absolutely no idea whatsoever what being a single
widowed mother of 3 children is really like. These people tend to
generalize and make an attempt to compare my life to their own and can't
possibly fathom that there are people who have struggled more than they
can ever imagine. I never ask but I usually want to ask "ok then , tell me
when?" I know however that questions such as these are pointless
and nothing but lessons in futility. Further to this question of
mine I want to add that as a single widowed mother of 3, I average
20 loads of laundry, 21 meals, 14 snacks, 28 beds, umpteen thousands of toys
to pick up and uncountable amount of dishes to do, hundreds of kilometers
to drive and a countless and thankless number of other motherly duties to
do in a week. Each and every week I might add because these things do not do
themselves. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but this is not
where it ends. After, or sometime in the midst of all this I go to work.
My job is a decent one with great co-workers and for that I am lucky
but it is backbreaking, and already causing me chronic pain. My job is not
one in which people leave the industry because they have retired but rather
they leave quite young because of work related dissability it is
crippiling backbreaking work that I do. I do it because I have little other
choice. The pay is better per hour than most jobs I could do, and 3 kids
are expensive to feed.If I had the option to upgrade to something better,
believe me I would but as a single income earner with 3 kids to Support,
that option is just not there. So I restate, when exactly will things get
better? When I am crippled and can no longer work, when my washing
machine breaks and I have to once again wash thoses 20 loads in the tub?
Please I beg you all, stop spewing such drivel it is oh so not helpfull.
How do you do it?
Simple answer here - I have no choice - no one going to do it for me!
Really though I am not always melodramatic and cynical, I am just a
mom who is tired of false sympathy and a pretext of showing that
people care. If you really want to offer me some kind of assistance,
buy me groceries!
1) Don't worry things will get better and 2)how do you do it?
Both of these phrases are esentially benign and are meant to
portray, at least I am sure on the part of the person saying
them, a sense of caring and concern for my welfare. As much as
this may be the case they are two phrases I am very tired of hearing.
Don't worry, things will get better.
Really? This one is problematic for the main reason that most people
that I know have absolutely no idea whatsoever what being a single
widowed mother of 3 children is really like. These people tend to
generalize and make an attempt to compare my life to their own and can't
possibly fathom that there are people who have struggled more than they
can ever imagine. I never ask but I usually want to ask "ok then , tell me
when?" I know however that questions such as these are pointless
and nothing but lessons in futility. Further to this question of
mine I want to add that as a single widowed mother of 3, I average
20 loads of laundry, 21 meals, 14 snacks, 28 beds, umpteen thousands of toys
to pick up and uncountable amount of dishes to do, hundreds of kilometers
to drive and a countless and thankless number of other motherly duties to
do in a week. Each and every week I might add because these things do not do
themselves. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but this is not
where it ends. After, or sometime in the midst of all this I go to work.
My job is a decent one with great co-workers and for that I am lucky
but it is backbreaking, and already causing me chronic pain. My job is not
one in which people leave the industry because they have retired but rather
they leave quite young because of work related dissability it is
crippiling backbreaking work that I do. I do it because I have little other
choice. The pay is better per hour than most jobs I could do, and 3 kids
are expensive to feed.If I had the option to upgrade to something better,
believe me I would but as a single income earner with 3 kids to Support,
that option is just not there. So I restate, when exactly will things get
better? When I am crippled and can no longer work, when my washing
machine breaks and I have to once again wash thoses 20 loads in the tub?
Please I beg you all, stop spewing such drivel it is oh so not helpfull.
How do you do it?
Simple answer here - I have no choice - no one going to do it for me!
Really though I am not always melodramatic and cynical, I am just a
mom who is tired of false sympathy and a pretext of showing that
people care. If you really want to offer me some kind of assistance,
buy me groceries!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Single and Dating??? WTF????
So I just read a post from a blogger with his head up his ass (or both feet down his throat) entitled 13 Reasons Not to Date a Women With Kids http://blackmanx.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/13-reasons-not-to-date-a-woman-with-kids/ - I have put the link here because although he makes me want to scream he does have some valid arguments from a childless idiots point of view. Let me digress.......
1) He mentions Baby damage.... hmmm... yup.... just means we as single experienced moms expect to have a man with passion and expertise in certain areas and will settle for nothing but the best - oh ya and we KNOW what to do with our talent! lol. Maybe it isn't that he is dating stretched out women but that he's just a tad defficient on the anatomy side???
2) I can't find a babysitter - yup happens, and yup can be used as an excuse much the same as "Not tonight dear I have a headache" - point to be made here - if he thinks that it is being used as an excuse to get out of a date - maybe he is the one not desired in this relationship? Seems pretty self involved to me to think that one is so incredibly highly valued that t=making an excuse not to date someone is a reflection on the excuser??????
3)Babies interrupt sex - hun sex MADE those babies - if you don't like babies DON"T HAVE SEX!!! Nuff said!
4)Baby's daddy - so he's obviously been in a relationship with a woman with a problem ex - get over it - if she's worth it it shouldn't matter - you could try dating widows - heaven's knows there are enough of us out there - and no baby daddys to speak of in our case. Or again better yet - no mommies for you!
5)Rent - a - daddy - OMG this one made me laugh! Rent-a-daddy - lmao - dam - good one cuz all of us dumb poor hood rat girlz with babies wit no daddies are just buzy out there hunting for a new baby daddy.... dam you are a dumb ass! We don't want trash like you! Thats why you get the "Sorry no babysitter excuses!!"" HAHAHAHA!
6)The kids are still up - hun thats life! Eventually they do go to bed. Oh by the way did you ever stop to think that these kids are people too and that their lives maybe do not have to revolve around your sorry ass??
7)Double Heart Break - ya this is a sorry reality in a relationship where kids are involved but again you put it entirely from your selfish perspective alone. How about the heart ache on the kids part - you get to walk away and leave the mom to pick up the pieces of her own life with you gone and her kids.
8) Your Not My Dad - no kidding - you are not and much as you no doubt did when you were a kid - children will test their boundaries. Not only do you have to share the mom with her kids but her kids have to share their mother with you. From their perspective they are scared and confused - your an inknown entity and they will try to push you away because they are scared you will take their mom away - the onus is on you to prove to them that you are a decent person and earn their respect. Thats right - earn!
9)As far as what she will do if she gets knocked up - USE A DAMNED CONDOM!! and be honest if you do not want kids - this is not a discussion for months or years down the road. Moms need to know what to expect - discuss!
10)Bad judge of character - you speak of these women as if they are trash that will sleep around with anything that breaths - many of us single moms are not single by choice and have come out of long term relationships that ended for sometimes very unexpected reasons like the death of a spouse. If you are dating girls that you really feel are trashy then you are the trash they are after - ever consider that? Raise your standards then and stop trying to randomly knock up single mamas......
11)Unneccessary Expenditures - try paying the rent and groceries, school expenses, cloths, medical bills, birthday and christmas gifts etc etc associated with raising children on your own without any help from anyone else and generally speaking in a significantly lower paying job than a MAN can make on your own before you start whining about buying a kid and icecream cone or two.....
12)You'll never be No 1 - why should you be - it would be a pretty crappy mom who would put a new boyfriend ahead of her flesh and bloods interests. Shameful that you would even consider this an issue......and rather concieted.....
13)Tag your it! - this law has pretty much been implemented North America wide including in Canada - it is to protect the women and children from ending up homeless and starving - and although it may not seem fair - when you become a central figure in a child's life for a number of years to that child you do become like a new parent - whether you like it or not - you also have a right to visitation in cases like these, and if you were a decent person you would consider that a bonus.
As harsh as my rebuttal seems I do agree with your points in one major regard - you should not date women with children! Thats not saying that you are a bad person or that there is anything wrong with your thinking, just that you are not ready to deal with a ready made family - recognizing and accepting this is great. In my case your points above are the number one reason that I will not date a man without kids. Added to this are the following reasons not to date a childless man:
1) They don't get it and never will - as much as a childless man will tell you that he understands that time is an issue and that you can't just drop everything to go out on a date - when push comes to shove and you rally cannot find a sitter or one of your kids is sick you invarriably get the cold shoulder or some kind of attitude to suggest the man is irritated with your not being able to run at his beck and call.
2)Men want to be involved when they really shouldn't be - the last single childless guy I considered was the last - I got so sick of hearing him whine about how he liked kids and wanted to come over to my house to meet them, or watch a movie or whatever was too dense to realize that I don't want somebody involved untill I know he's in it for the long haul becuase when you break up with a man involved with your kids - they break up with him too and its alot harder to heal from a broken relationship when your kids are mourning right along with you. Not to mention that kids tend to take break-ups personal and think they are somehow their faults.
3)Men tend to expect that they will be number one - and although I really wish that I could be with someone that I thought this highly of - the reality is I made my kids and no childless man on the planet will ever understand what kind of connection this makes.
4)I really do not need another Child to take care of - there is a certain maturity that being a father brings to many men that childless men are just not capable of obtaining - that is not to day that there are not great childless men out there who have potential - but it is to say that for most the world still revolves around them and their expectations are unralistic for a mom. We are not looking for another mouth to feed or person to take care of - independance please.
The list goes on but for now this is enough! Peace all and good luck with dating!
1) He mentions Baby damage.... hmmm... yup.... just means we as single experienced moms expect to have a man with passion and expertise in certain areas and will settle for nothing but the best - oh ya and we KNOW what to do with our talent! lol. Maybe it isn't that he is dating stretched out women but that he's just a tad defficient on the anatomy side???
2) I can't find a babysitter - yup happens, and yup can be used as an excuse much the same as "Not tonight dear I have a headache" - point to be made here - if he thinks that it is being used as an excuse to get out of a date - maybe he is the one not desired in this relationship? Seems pretty self involved to me to think that one is so incredibly highly valued that t=making an excuse not to date someone is a reflection on the excuser??????
3)Babies interrupt sex - hun sex MADE those babies - if you don't like babies DON"T HAVE SEX!!! Nuff said!
4)Baby's daddy - so he's obviously been in a relationship with a woman with a problem ex - get over it - if she's worth it it shouldn't matter - you could try dating widows - heaven's knows there are enough of us out there - and no baby daddys to speak of in our case. Or again better yet - no mommies for you!
5)Rent - a - daddy - OMG this one made me laugh! Rent-a-daddy - lmao - dam - good one cuz all of us dumb poor hood rat girlz with babies wit no daddies are just buzy out there hunting for a new baby daddy.... dam you are a dumb ass! We don't want trash like you! Thats why you get the "Sorry no babysitter excuses!!"" HAHAHAHA!
6)The kids are still up - hun thats life! Eventually they do go to bed. Oh by the way did you ever stop to think that these kids are people too and that their lives maybe do not have to revolve around your sorry ass??
7)Double Heart Break - ya this is a sorry reality in a relationship where kids are involved but again you put it entirely from your selfish perspective alone. How about the heart ache on the kids part - you get to walk away and leave the mom to pick up the pieces of her own life with you gone and her kids.
8) Your Not My Dad - no kidding - you are not and much as you no doubt did when you were a kid - children will test their boundaries. Not only do you have to share the mom with her kids but her kids have to share their mother with you. From their perspective they are scared and confused - your an inknown entity and they will try to push you away because they are scared you will take their mom away - the onus is on you to prove to them that you are a decent person and earn their respect. Thats right - earn!
9)As far as what she will do if she gets knocked up - USE A DAMNED CONDOM!! and be honest if you do not want kids - this is not a discussion for months or years down the road. Moms need to know what to expect - discuss!
10)Bad judge of character - you speak of these women as if they are trash that will sleep around with anything that breaths - many of us single moms are not single by choice and have come out of long term relationships that ended for sometimes very unexpected reasons like the death of a spouse. If you are dating girls that you really feel are trashy then you are the trash they are after - ever consider that? Raise your standards then and stop trying to randomly knock up single mamas......
11)Unneccessary Expenditures - try paying the rent and groceries, school expenses, cloths, medical bills, birthday and christmas gifts etc etc associated with raising children on your own without any help from anyone else and generally speaking in a significantly lower paying job than a MAN can make on your own before you start whining about buying a kid and icecream cone or two.....
12)You'll never be No 1 - why should you be - it would be a pretty crappy mom who would put a new boyfriend ahead of her flesh and bloods interests. Shameful that you would even consider this an issue......and rather concieted.....
13)Tag your it! - this law has pretty much been implemented North America wide including in Canada - it is to protect the women and children from ending up homeless and starving - and although it may not seem fair - when you become a central figure in a child's life for a number of years to that child you do become like a new parent - whether you like it or not - you also have a right to visitation in cases like these, and if you were a decent person you would consider that a bonus.
As harsh as my rebuttal seems I do agree with your points in one major regard - you should not date women with children! Thats not saying that you are a bad person or that there is anything wrong with your thinking, just that you are not ready to deal with a ready made family - recognizing and accepting this is great. In my case your points above are the number one reason that I will not date a man without kids. Added to this are the following reasons not to date a childless man:
1) They don't get it and never will - as much as a childless man will tell you that he understands that time is an issue and that you can't just drop everything to go out on a date - when push comes to shove and you rally cannot find a sitter or one of your kids is sick you invarriably get the cold shoulder or some kind of attitude to suggest the man is irritated with your not being able to run at his beck and call.
2)Men want to be involved when they really shouldn't be - the last single childless guy I considered was the last - I got so sick of hearing him whine about how he liked kids and wanted to come over to my house to meet them, or watch a movie or whatever was too dense to realize that I don't want somebody involved untill I know he's in it for the long haul becuase when you break up with a man involved with your kids - they break up with him too and its alot harder to heal from a broken relationship when your kids are mourning right along with you. Not to mention that kids tend to take break-ups personal and think they are somehow their faults.
3)Men tend to expect that they will be number one - and although I really wish that I could be with someone that I thought this highly of - the reality is I made my kids and no childless man on the planet will ever understand what kind of connection this makes.
4)I really do not need another Child to take care of - there is a certain maturity that being a father brings to many men that childless men are just not capable of obtaining - that is not to day that there are not great childless men out there who have potential - but it is to say that for most the world still revolves around them and their expectations are unralistic for a mom. We are not looking for another mouth to feed or person to take care of - independance please.
The list goes on but for now this is enough! Peace all and good luck with dating!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Varsity View Woes
So reading the Winnipeg Free Press today I find myself reading an article about the damage being caused by a group of inconsiderate punks riding ATVs through the soccer fields where my daughter plays. The conflict here is that this reporting of cutting of the fences and destruction of the fields is not found in one of our crime ridden innercity neighbourhoods but in the relatively quiet, low crime area of Charleswood, previously one of the more desirable areas of the city in which to live. One may point the finger as many do at the low rental housing that has popped up around the area, or the number of grouphomes that have opened house here, but the reality is poor people do not buy their kids ATVs and dirt bikes. The real culprit here is a total lack of culpability on the part of the parents of these kids in ensuring that their dear sons and daughters are obeying the rules and showing respect for others. It saddens me as a single mom that the potential is there for my children to learn this level of dissrespect in the community because I have worked as hard as I can to teach my kids better.
The question then becomes if the parents won't teach respect and adherance to rules both legislated and unwritten, who should? First and foremost these kids and yes I have seen enough of them at this park to accurately say they are almost as a whole under 18, need to be charged by the Police and should be made to serve their punishments in the form of community service repairing the damadge they have caused. Laws about offroad ridership are meaninless if not enforced. The Police should also have the right to, and should be siezing the vehicles of anyone caught riding them out of bounds, irregardless of who is the owner. Making the parents account for allowing these kids to recklessly damage the fields and endanger the children using them is paramount. They are after all the people ultimately in charge of allowing their sons and daughters use of the quads and bikes. The schools need to be involved as well. Yes, I know they have no idea who is operating these machines, and they really have no involvement in what goes on outside of school hours but the current anti-bullying and respect campaigns carried out in the public school systems here are way too soft hearted to have any effect what-so-ever. Untill everyone, the Police, the schools and us as parent stop holding our kids hands and saying "there there its ok" when they are in trouble, this will continue to happen and contine to escalate. Parents need to know its ok and justifiable to ground your kids and take privelages away! Spanking may not be the answer now a days, and certainly wouldn't be with a teenager, but selling the quad or dirt bike or wii, xbox or whatever may just be!
Just my 2 cents.......
The question then becomes if the parents won't teach respect and adherance to rules both legislated and unwritten, who should? First and foremost these kids and yes I have seen enough of them at this park to accurately say they are almost as a whole under 18, need to be charged by the Police and should be made to serve their punishments in the form of community service repairing the damadge they have caused. Laws about offroad ridership are meaninless if not enforced. The Police should also have the right to, and should be siezing the vehicles of anyone caught riding them out of bounds, irregardless of who is the owner. Making the parents account for allowing these kids to recklessly damage the fields and endanger the children using them is paramount. They are after all the people ultimately in charge of allowing their sons and daughters use of the quads and bikes. The schools need to be involved as well. Yes, I know they have no idea who is operating these machines, and they really have no involvement in what goes on outside of school hours but the current anti-bullying and respect campaigns carried out in the public school systems here are way too soft hearted to have any effect what-so-ever. Untill everyone, the Police, the schools and us as parent stop holding our kids hands and saying "there there its ok" when they are in trouble, this will continue to happen and contine to escalate. Parents need to know its ok and justifiable to ground your kids and take privelages away! Spanking may not be the answer now a days, and certainly wouldn't be with a teenager, but selling the quad or dirt bike or wii, xbox or whatever may just be!
Just my 2 cents.......
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Blogging and the single mom.
So life as a single mom - crazy, hectic, insane and totally worth it. (Or so we work hard to convince ourselves everyday) Fall is upon us once again and as much as many of us look soooo forward to this time a year - kids are back in school, routines become normalized it also means a return to crazy after school schedules and a huge reduction in social opportunities, not that as a single mom many of us have a whole lot of those. In my case fall brings back dragging my kids out of bed everyday way earlier than they would like to get up, stuffing them into their school cloths, chasing them to get out the door, dropping them off at school not for a couple of hours peace but so that I can either race off to my part time job or to University because my life isn't psychotically crazy enough without adding my own education into the mix, racing back to the school to pick them up, racing half way across town for soccerswimmingdancelessons, then finally home to make supper and chase the kids to do their homeworkchoreslaundry, then finally put them to be and collapse exhausted onto the couch just to realize I have paperexamstudying to do. Argh! And just when I think its all over and I can relax the alarm bell goes off.
Sound familiar? I am sure it does. So given the lack of getting out of the house in the fall without kids, my love of writing and a need to vent, and my desire to share the many tips and tricks that I have developed over the years to make life transition a little smoother I thought I would start blogging - just to add one more activity to the dizzying aray of items that I have on my "to do" list. I swear I have become so used to being unbelievably busy that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I actually had free time!
If you have a story to share or a tip for making the most out of a dollar, and life as a single parent please feel free to comment on the posts I put on here and welcome to my blog!
Sound familiar? I am sure it does. So given the lack of getting out of the house in the fall without kids, my love of writing and a need to vent, and my desire to share the many tips and tricks that I have developed over the years to make life transition a little smoother I thought I would start blogging - just to add one more activity to the dizzying aray of items that I have on my "to do" list. I swear I have become so used to being unbelievably busy that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I actually had free time!
If you have a story to share or a tip for making the most out of a dollar, and life as a single parent please feel free to comment on the posts I put on here and welcome to my blog!
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