Lessons from a Gogo
I had a Gogo. If you had met him, you’d wish you had a Gogo too. My Ukrainian heritage dictated that I had a Gido (Ukrainian for grandfather). Except when I was little, I couldn’t say Gido. I called him Gogo (pronounced Go-Go). A nickname that started with me, got picked up by my brother, and then the 6 other grandkids and 2 great grandkids after that. Gogo he always was. Maybe it was because Gogo rolled off the tongue pretty easily, or maybe it was because he just couldn’t be anything else. Gogo simply stuck. I feel pretty lucky […]
My Favourite Books in 2011
I know this post is very Oprah-like (and we all know how I feel about Oprah), but one of the things I love is to find and share a great read. If I measure my year by the number of good books discovered, 2011 ranks highly. So many authors, both new and always loved, captured my attention. And my new Kobo Touch was so much fun to use, it made me read more and took my love of reading to a whole new level. Be forewarned: most of the books listed here are woman fare and are all fiction (the […]
In extraordinary company
Humbled. Flattered. Honoured. Touched. Thrilled. Inspired. I am running out of past participles in response to Avenue Magazine Edmonton selecting me as one of the Top 40 Under 40 for 2011. As was the case in the previous two years, the list of Edmontonians they have recognized in 2011 is an impressive one. Professors. Media celebrities. PhDs. Creative gurus. Presidents. Artists. Technology leaders. Educators. And one rockstar chef. I like to think I work hard, and give back whenever I can. And while we all love to be appreciated, I think many of us just live our lives always choosing […]
“To bare or not go bare?”
That is the question. My answer lies somewhere in between. There is lots of buzz about minimalist running. And no, it’s not about running as little as possible (even though I know many people would be all over that trend). Minimalist running is all about running with as little as possible on your feet. Including nothing. I have never been a big trend follower when it comes to running. I have been running for over 20 years, long before those overdone Running Room “cover your ass” coats and before running became a highly social activity. But, I am always keen […]
The Old Boys Club: A Memo to Members
Dearest Club Members: Recently there has been discussion in the media about the Old Boys Club. I write this memorandum to reaffirm the rules surrounding your membership so the Club can continue to be a thriving, secretive force dedicated to upholding tradition. For all communications with non-members, you are asked to dispute the Club’s existence. When asked about, or when you hear reference to, the Old Boys Club, casually state, “The Old Boys Club no longer exists. The times have changed”. The presence of women of various ages and younger men in business, government and community circles provides us with […]
Terry Fox: A hero for all
It was on day two of a trip to Vietnam seven years ago when I turned a corner and saw Terry Fox. Or more accurately, the image of Terry Fox, promoting the Terry Fox Run in Ho Chi Minh City. Until that moment, I had no idea that Terry Fox was known outside of Canada. But here he was, in a third world communist country, a Canadian hero inspiring hope and raising money for cancer research. Standing on the bustling, frantic street in Vietnam overwhelmed and intimidated by massive culture shock, I was never so proud to be Canadian. I […]
Star struck at Charcut
Ever since Top Chef Canada was on TV earlier this year, I have wanted to dine at Charcut in Calgary. For the uninitiated, the chef and one of the owners of Charcut, Connie DeSousa, competed on the Canadian version of this popular reality show. Each week, I loved watching her approach to food and cooking, and her quiet but forceful way that earned her a third place finish on the show . “Team Connie” was alive and well in #yegfood while the show was on, and we are still convinced she should have come in first. So when the opportunity […]
Single and the City
If it was only a Carrie Bradshaw kinda life. Late thirties, early forties and single in Edmonton is a challenge. Maybe it is a challenge in other cities too. Logic says that no matter where you live, as you get older it gets harder to meet people. The pool gets smaller as people marry off and have small litters of little ones. But I only know late-30’s and single in Edmonton. And I have many friends that fall in the same category who also feel the pinch of Edmonton single life. So even though I am typically private about these […]