Significance
On October 2, 2012, Edmonton will step up once again with the opening of Valour Place. Valour Place is like Ronald McDonald House, but for injured soldiers as it provides “hope away from home” for Canadian Forces and RCMP members, veterans and their families when they are in Edmonton for medical treatment and rehabilitation. Valour Place is significant on so many levels. It’s the first home of its kind in Canada and it’s right here in Edmonton. It’s an initiative led by the community, for Canada’s military community. A team of hard working and connected Edmontonians took an idea conceived […]
Don’t touch a girl’s garden
When you were young, your parents likely taught you not to touch or take what’s not yours. One of those early teachings most people get. However, two recent incidents magnified the fact there are people that have forgotten this important early life lesson. Now, I realize people steal and take things all of the time. I am not naive to the greedy, evil side of human nature. But when a stranger comes into your sandbox and touches or takes your toys, it really hits close to home. The first incident involves my garden. I’m a bit of a green thumb, […]
I bet you think this post is about you
Once upon a time, long long ago, when you acted like an ass or crazy lady, or just did something plain stupid, mean or funny, the story spread as quickly as one could tell two friends. And then they’d tell two friends, and so on and so on. But we no longer live in Faberge Shampoo kinda times. You don’t need two friends anymore. You just need a blog, Twitter or Facebook account. Share your tale blindly in cyberspace and before you know it, everyone knows the kind of shampoo you use. The internet and social media move rants, rumours, and […]
In defence of TV
You’ve met them. The people that like to boast that they don’t watch TV. “I don’t really have time for TV, I am too busy with biking / golfing / landscaping / reading / work / tweeting / splitting the atom / anything other than lowering myself to watch the boob tube busy.” And when you meet these people, what stands out is the mighty tone in their voice when they tell you they don’t watch. Like TV is the most lowly, time-wasting, bottom-feeding, passive-minded activity a human being could do. Now many of these same people also like to […]
It’s the little differences
It was 45 degrees outside, humid as hell. I had just gone for a run in the gym on the ex-pat compound I was staying at in the Middle East. As I walked back to my friends Colleen and Mike’s home, I was thinking about how I would describe what it was like here when I got back to Canada. And then I heard Vincent Vega’s voice in my head (John Travolta’s character in Pulp Fiction). “It’s the little differences.” In this classic scene from the 1994 cult movie favourite, Vincent tells Samuel L. Jackson’s character about the little differences between […]
My crystal ball
Let me start by saying I don’t believe the polls. We’re hours away from an Alberta provincial election and throughout the entire campaign, the release of polling data has been a daily sport. From the beginning, all of the polls have been pointing to a majority or minority win by the upstart and unproven Wildrose Party. With all due respect to my market research friends who do good, solid work, I struggle to wrap my brain around the poll results. I don’t think this struggle comes out of denial or a desire to see a different result, but simply because […]
We are small
Travel should transform. And be more than a change of scenery. Every trip should challenge your mind, your heart, your tastes, your fears, your body. While that doesn’t sound like the recipe from most people’s typical all-inclusive vacation, even the most routine and common destinations can be more. I recently traveled to the Grand Canyon and went from top to bottom over two days. And from the moment I arrived, the Canyon made me feel small. Insignificant. Inconsequential. Exactly how a vacation should make you feel. At 6,000 feet or a mile-long, the Grand Canyon isn’t the deepest canyon in the world. […]
Happy Birthday: Lessons from a 1-year old blog
Today is the first birthday of my blog, This is Actually Happening. In the past year, I have learned a lot about the benefits and challenges of having a blog – actually, several blogs. In addition to Actually Happening, I also have my Freestone company blog, and I am the editor and author of blogs for two of my clients. Needless to say, I jumped head first into blogging this past year. Trial by fire; learning at mach speed. I get asked by clients and colleagues about what it is like to have and upkeep a blog. So in honour […]