"Oh well...."
A lot worse has happened to it, that is certain.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Stanley takes a tumble...
You may ask how Canadians reacted to Lord Stanley's Cup hitting the ground and getting a huge dent in it's cup.....
"Oh well...."
A lot worse has happened to it, that is certain.
"Oh well...."
A lot worse has happened to it, that is certain.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Victoria's Secret Revealed
And while we are on the topic of "what friends post on Facebook" and also "lady bits"....here is a photo from another friend (thank you SL!):
Just south of the border, due to the downturn in the economy, there have been stores closing in the local mall.
As you can see from the photo above, Victoria's Secrets have now all been revealed.
If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny.
Just south of the border, due to the downturn in the economy, there have been stores closing in the local mall.
As you can see from the photo above, Victoria's Secrets have now all been revealed.
If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A Nurse's Perspective can be an odd one
The picture is amazing and my friend decided to share it with all, not only by posting it on her facebook, but also making it her profile picture.
It's a photo of a child walking out of the cave behind the falls - and the photo was taken just as he was emerging from the water spillage.
I don't know, call me an old Labor Delivery RN who has spent waaaay too much time looking at you-know-what......but at first glance (and second and third for that matter!) it looked like something quite familiar.
If you don't see what I mean - stand back a couple feet from your computer and squint at the photo...it'll come to you eventually.
Ya. I thought so.
 |
| Margaret Falls in it's entirety. |
 |
| you can wander around and experience the waterfall You can see where the cave is that the kid walked out of in the very top photo..... |
Monday, August 22, 2011
You don't know Jack
...so I will try to tell you who he was.
An amazing man who believed in Canada, he fought for the greater good and a better society.
I respected him as a politician and a decent human being.
Leader of the Opposition in our Federal Government, our social conscience, he was always an optimist. Watch the first 2 minutes of this video - his life in a nutshell:
Just a couple months ago, he took a leave from politics for cancer treatment:
Jack Layton passed away this morning at age 61 from this new cancer.
Two days before he passed away he wrote a letter to all Canadians and ended it with this:
He had a great sense of humor:
He was voted the politician that Canadians would most want to sit down and have a beer with.
His life truly was a life well lived.
An amazing man who believed in Canada, he fought for the greater good and a better society.
I respected him as a politician and a decent human being.
Leader of the Opposition in our Federal Government, our social conscience, he was always an optimist. Watch the first 2 minutes of this video - his life in a nutshell:
Just a couple months ago, he took a leave from politics for cancer treatment:
Jack Layton passed away this morning at age 61 from this new cancer.
Two days before he passed away he wrote a letter to all Canadians and ended it with this:
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."
He had a great sense of humor:
He was voted the politician that Canadians would most want to sit down and have a beer with.
His life truly was a life well lived.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sad news:
Everyone has seen this video of the otters floating while holding hands at the Vancouver aquarium:
Nyac was rescued from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
That's the year I moved to California.
She was rescued, one of the very few who survived and managed to live out her life at the Vancouver Aquarium. She was the only one to have a live pup. In 2008 she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia - a known cancer in other animals, related to petroleum exposure - and died.
Sad news is, the second of the pair - Milo - has also now been found to have cancer and is losing weight. Apparently, news reports say he is undergoing "chemotherapy".
As much as I loved my cat who had cancer and died almost one year ago, I don't think I would have the heart to give her chemotherapy. Prognosis isn't good, and in her case, would have been inhumane treatment.
Of course, unless the definition of "chemotherapy" in this case is pain medication or antibiotics.....
Nyac was rescued from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
That's the year I moved to California.
She was rescued, one of the very few who survived and managed to live out her life at the Vancouver Aquarium. She was the only one to have a live pup. In 2008 she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia - a known cancer in other animals, related to petroleum exposure - and died.
Sad news is, the second of the pair - Milo - has also now been found to have cancer and is losing weight. Apparently, news reports say he is undergoing "chemotherapy".
As much as I loved my cat who had cancer and died almost one year ago, I don't think I would have the heart to give her chemotherapy. Prognosis isn't good, and in her case, would have been inhumane treatment.
Of course, unless the definition of "chemotherapy" in this case is pain medication or antibiotics.....
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Lucky to be Alive...
 |
| Boys just love to play with fire! once again, the kids at the next campsite |
Now that we have been home for a few days......here's a Camping Story for you:
It was a chilly Saturday late afternoon just this past weekend, and my husband wanted to warm "us" up by lighting the mini portable BBQ - under the table....
What's with boys and fire??
Although he claimed it was "us" he was doing it for, there was no convincing him that in actual fact - I wasn't cold, due to My Own Personal Summer that I was experiencing. I was quite comfortable, thank you - but he just couldn't be dissuaded.
He lights up the Barbie under the table, and after approximately 15 minutes or so, the BBQ starts to spew out clouds of smoke.
"Don't worry" he tells me, "It's just burning off the old food residue."
My cousin and her husband and kids had stayed in the trailer just the week before and we knew they had used it.
Fair enough, I thought. The smoke was heading in another direction, after all.
 |
| my husband ignoring the smoke |
Half an hour later, I started choking on the now billowing smoke....I asked him what the heck was he trying to do...smoke us out of there?
I jumped up and out of the way and meanwhile the trailer's smoke alarm starts ringing.
At this point he finally concedes, and is finally convinced that it might be a good idea to at least shut off the BBQ.
I take a peek under the tablecloth a few minutes later and there are FLAMES shooting up from the BBQ.
"Uh, honey, did you turn that BBQ off?" I enquire.
"Yes - five minutes ago" he replies. "Why?"
"Because there is a bonfire going on under the table....and any minute the whole table and quite possibly the canopy will be engulfed..."
 |
| scrambling to get the BBQ out from under the table |
He reaches under the table and pulls the BBQ across to the far side of the camp spot.
The BBQ flips over. He kicks it with his foot to upright it. The BBQ flips over again.
 |
| The flames were actually larger, this is after the kicking of the BBQ fiasco |
By the time it burns itself out, in oh, say, 20 minutes.....I am wondering what the heck was in that BBQ.
On further inspection with the tongs ......I find this:
 |
| what's left of the barbecue scrubber - a bunch of these little things! |
What the heck????.
It took us a while to realize that the toasted liquefied messy object in the foil was once a BBQ scrubber.
Conclusion:
Wine for dinner is not always a responsible idea, especially when combined with fire.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Incubators and Preemies: How it all Began
It's an interesting and curious story: the Birth of the Incubator.
I was watching the History channel on my break on nightshift last week and a woman asked one of the researchers on the show the origins of a silver cup with her name on it.
It had an extraordinary history behind it. Some would even hazard to say bizarre.
***
Back in 1904, if a baby was born prematurely, more than likely it would die an early death - either from cold, disease or inability to feed. (You remember my story of a baby my Grandmother delivered in the prairies that she set on the door of a woodstove to warm!) Death rates in the first two weeks of life ranged between 30-40%!
The move towards trying to save these babies started in the 1870's when France's population was ravaged by famine and post-war casualties.
In an attempt to boost the French population, Dr. Tarnier, an esteemed obstetrician and a pioneer neonatologist, decided that steps should be taken to improve the survival rate of prematurely born infants.
His attendance at a poultry farm where chicks were raised in a warming chamber sparked an idea. Why not develop a similar setup for human babies?
The Zookeeper of the Paris Zoo was commissioned to build the first baby incubator for a local Paris hospital in 1880 - the first in the world.
Under Dr. Tarnier's tutelage was a Dr. Budin, who further championed the advancement of the use of incubators for neonates. Specializing in the study of neonatology, he wrote papers and published books on the subject.
He introduced "nasal feedings" (oh my!-take a look!) and intermittent gavage.
He worked on the problems of infection as well, and developed strict hand washing and the isolation of sick babies and separating the infants into well baby/sick baby groupings. He addressed the problem of proper storage of milk to prevent spoilage.
He advocated using "wet nurses" to procure human milk as this was found to produce better results.
He came up with an unusual and bizarre method to publicize his theories on Neonatology and spread the word about baby incubator use: Baby Exhibits.
A young associate of Dr Budin was assigned to accompany an Exhibit of "a child hatchery" to Berlin. The display was so successful, it was extended not only to England, but also into the United States.
This young associate was Dr. Martin Couney.
He immigrated to America in 1903 and for 40 years plus, presided over the Coney Island exhibit.
In this unlikely environment, circus "barkers" would shout out to the crowd to encourage them to go through the exhibit. (Interestingly enough, one of these was Cary Grant - at that time, a young actor waiting for a part on Broadway) The incubators were lined up like little wood stoves in a row.
In the early days, to view the preemies - adults would pay 10 cents, children - 5 cents. Lines - mostly women - would line up in droves to view the nurses at work with the babies, some of which were only one and a half pounds.
Although based in Coney Island, occasionally Dr Couney would go out to other cities - Chicago, Portland OR, San Francisco - to oversee displays there. The one in San Francisco alone took in over $72,000 in the 10 months it was open.
MDs from all over the country would send Dr Couney little preemies for his exhibit. He was awarded a platinum watch in recognition of his efforts.
However, not everyone was happy with the "showmanship" of the preemies. One nurse recalled feeling disdain, but she did concede that the infants did get very good care.
Dr. Couney himself was disheartened to see the disconnect between the infant and the parents who, after so many months separated from their baby, would hardly come and visit and were actually reluctant to take them home when they "graduated". He consoled himself with the fact that not one parent had to pay a penny for the care of these babies - the exhibit itself was self-supporting.
In a Canadian twist: Dr. Couney was invited to be the MD in charge of the famous Dionne Quintuplets born in Ontario, but declined because he stated that they were going to die and he didn't want to have the bad publicity that would be a fallout of a probable highly publicized failure.
As it was, these were one year's results, near the end of the era of the exhibit:
The first premature infant ward opened up in Cornell's New York Hospital and the Preemie Exhibit folded.
Oh - and that silver baby cup with the woman's name engraved on it mentioned at the beginning of this blogpost? It was part of a gift given to a group of "1933-34 preemie graduates" and their parents at a 1940 reunion of the Exhibition Babies from Coney Island's "Century of Progress" World's Fair.
********************
Here is a March of Dimes video showing preemies birth and the work they do. It's an ongoing fight:
I was watching the History channel on my break on nightshift last week and a woman asked one of the researchers on the show the origins of a silver cup with her name on it.
It had an extraordinary history behind it. Some would even hazard to say bizarre.
 |
| Wiki photo: 1909, Seattle WA Baby Incubator |
***
Back in 1904, if a baby was born prematurely, more than likely it would die an early death - either from cold, disease or inability to feed. (You remember my story of a baby my Grandmother delivered in the prairies that she set on the door of a woodstove to warm!) Death rates in the first two weeks of life ranged between 30-40%!
The move towards trying to save these babies started in the 1870's when France's population was ravaged by famine and post-war casualties.
In an attempt to boost the French population, Dr. Tarnier, an esteemed obstetrician and a pioneer neonatologist, decided that steps should be taken to improve the survival rate of prematurely born infants.
His attendance at a poultry farm where chicks were raised in a warming chamber sparked an idea. Why not develop a similar setup for human babies?
The Zookeeper of the Paris Zoo was commissioned to build the first baby incubator for a local Paris hospital in 1880 - the first in the world.
Under Dr. Tarnier's tutelage was a Dr. Budin, who further championed the advancement of the use of incubators for neonates. Specializing in the study of neonatology, he wrote papers and published books on the subject.
He introduced "nasal feedings" (oh my!-take a look!) and intermittent gavage.
He worked on the problems of infection as well, and developed strict hand washing and the isolation of sick babies and separating the infants into well baby/sick baby groupings. He addressed the problem of proper storage of milk to prevent spoilage.
He advocated using "wet nurses" to procure human milk as this was found to produce better results.
He came up with an unusual and bizarre method to publicize his theories on Neonatology and spread the word about baby incubator use: Baby Exhibits.
A young associate of Dr Budin was assigned to accompany an Exhibit of "a child hatchery" to Berlin. The display was so successful, it was extended not only to England, but also into the United States.
This young associate was Dr. Martin Couney.
He immigrated to America in 1903 and for 40 years plus, presided over the Coney Island exhibit.
In this unlikely environment, circus "barkers" would shout out to the crowd to encourage them to go through the exhibit. (Interestingly enough, one of these was Cary Grant - at that time, a young actor waiting for a part on Broadway) The incubators were lined up like little wood stoves in a row.
In the early days, to view the preemies - adults would pay 10 cents, children - 5 cents. Lines - mostly women - would line up in droves to view the nurses at work with the babies, some of which were only one and a half pounds.
Although based in Coney Island, occasionally Dr Couney would go out to other cities - Chicago, Portland OR, San Francisco - to oversee displays there. The one in San Francisco alone took in over $72,000 in the 10 months it was open.
MDs from all over the country would send Dr Couney little preemies for his exhibit. He was awarded a platinum watch in recognition of his efforts.
However, not everyone was happy with the "showmanship" of the preemies. One nurse recalled feeling disdain, but she did concede that the infants did get very good care.
Dr. Couney himself was disheartened to see the disconnect between the infant and the parents who, after so many months separated from their baby, would hardly come and visit and were actually reluctant to take them home when they "graduated". He consoled himself with the fact that not one parent had to pay a penny for the care of these babies - the exhibit itself was self-supporting.
In a Canadian twist: Dr. Couney was invited to be the MD in charge of the famous Dionne Quintuplets born in Ontario, but declined because he stated that they were going to die and he didn't want to have the bad publicity that would be a fallout of a probable highly publicized failure.
As it was, these were one year's results, near the end of the era of the exhibit:
Mortality Experienced at Exhibit during New York World's Fair 1939-1940 (Medical News: New York City. JAMA 115:1648, 1940.)
By 1940 the depression had eaten away at the profits and the now 25 cents admission charge did not cover the costs. The Health Department stepped in and continually criticized the setup. The public were bored with the exhibit in an ever increasingly modernized world.
Gestational Age (mo.) Admitted Died 6 9 0 6 1/2 18 4 7 37 6 7 1/2 9 0 8 20 0 8 1/2 1 0 Unknown 2 0 Total 96 10
The first premature infant ward opened up in Cornell's New York Hospital and the Preemie Exhibit folded.
He (Couney) told his nephew, "I made propaganda for the preemie. My work is done." Twenty years after his death a bronze tablet was placed on the wall next to the entrance of the Holiday Inn on the boardwalk in Atlantic City to mark the site of his old shows. It noted that "Dr. Couney was the first person in the United States to offer specialized care for premature infants."A final commentary at the end of this story makes an interesting comparison to today's medicine:
"But I find it hard to ignore the resemblance between the theatrics of the side-show exhibits and the dramatic actions in present-day neonatal intensive care units. In both cases, I find a disturbing detachment from reality"One thing the exhibition did - it promoted the need for earlier and improved prenatal care.
"The feeble infant is plucked up and deposited in a theatre-like setting in which superb technical experts make all-out efforts to support life. And when this has been accomplished successfully, the infant graduates. But no comparable effort is mounted to deal with the enormous problems which face the graduate at home and in the community. Future historians may look back with some fascination at the tunnel vision in the incubator-show era and in the present day. I can almost hear the comment (in French, of course, since the movement did begin in France): Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
Oh - and that silver baby cup with the woman's name engraved on it mentioned at the beginning of this blogpost? It was part of a gift given to a group of "1933-34 preemie graduates" and their parents at a 1940 reunion of the Exhibition Babies from Coney Island's "Century of Progress" World's Fair.
********************
Here is a March of Dimes video showing preemies birth and the work they do. It's an ongoing fight:
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Camping again
So here we are camping again.
The man does the "manly" stuff while I relax and drink my wine.
That's what I like about camping in the USA. The wine is super cheap compared to Canada where they tax the heck out of it.
You can see that I have made dinner:
The wines here crack me up. I am drinking "Rex-Goliath free range wine", as it says on the label.....pinot grigio - my fav.
Apparently, His Royal Majesty Rex-Goliath was a turn of the century treasured circus attraction. He weighed 47 lbs and was billed as the "World's Largest Rooster".
Which leads me to the next post.
Something else put on display in America that attracted many crowds......
 |
| the neighboring kids in their inflatable raft.....an accident waiting to happen hopefully they don't fall in because I am not jumping in to get them! |
The man does the "manly" stuff while I relax and drink my wine.
That's what I like about camping in the USA. The wine is super cheap compared to Canada where they tax the heck out of it.
 |
| my husband chopping some kindling so we can have a fire tonite. thankfully, he didn't chop a finger off |
You can see that I have made dinner:
 |
| you have to try the NutCrisp crackers....Toasted Pecan...can't get them in Canada so I am bringing a few boxes home with me. Note the GIANT bottle of wine. |
The wines here crack me up. I am drinking "Rex-Goliath free range wine", as it says on the label.....pinot grigio - my fav.
Apparently, His Royal Majesty Rex-Goliath was a turn of the century treasured circus attraction. He weighed 47 lbs and was billed as the "World's Largest Rooster".
Which leads me to the next post.
Something else put on display in America that attracted many crowds......
 |
| this is where we are camping. They fly an American and Canadian flag there are equal numbers here. |
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Holy Sh*t!
You may have seen my blog post on "Holy Crap!" - the Breakfast Cereal recently popularized by a Canadian TV show: the Dragon's Den (Shark's Tank is the offshoot).
Here is the company's website for "Holy Crap" in case you can't be bothered to make it yourself. You can order 3 packages of 225gms each for $39.95
My cousin came up with a similar recipe which she calls "Holy Shit!"
You can create variances that appeal to your own taste.
This is how I make it:
I use all organic ingredients found at local natural food stores.
For a lower calorie version you can leave out the raisins, apples, cranberries and sesame seeds.
*are my own additions
**raisins are in original Holy Crap but I don't bother with them
I mix 2 heaping tablespoons with low fat natural yogurt for a great morning breakfast. You can also use milk. I put it in the fridge overnight, which softens the dried hemp/chia/buckwheat.
It's great for the bowels.
Safe for pregnant and breast feeding moms.
Another Yum!
Here is the company's website for "Holy Crap" in case you can't be bothered to make it yourself. You can order 3 packages of 225gms each for $39.95
My cousin came up with a similar recipe which she calls "Holy Shit!"
You can create variances that appeal to your own taste.
This is how I make it:
1/2 cup chia
1/2 cup hulled hemp hearts
1/4 cup toasted buckwheat
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sesame seeds*
1/2 cup dried apple (crumbled)
1/2 cup dried Thompson seedless raisins**
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves*
Mix all together in a seal-tight container
Store in cool dry place - or refrigerator
I use all organic ingredients found at local natural food stores.
For a lower calorie version you can leave out the raisins, apples, cranberries and sesame seeds.
*are my own additions
**raisins are in original Holy Crap but I don't bother with them
I mix 2 heaping tablespoons with low fat natural yogurt for a great morning breakfast. You can also use milk. I put it in the fridge overnight, which softens the dried hemp/chia/buckwheat.
It's great for the bowels.
Safe for pregnant and breast feeding moms.
Another Yum!
The "Anderson Cooper" of YVR
It's bad enough getting stuck at an airport inbetween flights - but what if you choose to stay at an airport?
For 80 days?
And happy about it???
No, this isn't a Tom Hanks movie.
This guy was the winner - out of 90 entries - in a contest to celebrate YVR's 80th birthday*.
He will live at the Fairmont Hotel right on the grounds, and will receive $50 per day in vouchers to eat at the airport and has a pass to get in anywhere in YVR.
He will be reporting each day of what goes on in the daily life at YVR.
This was his entry:
What goes on at an airport?
16.8 million passengers in 2010
293K takeoffs and landings
400 plus businesses.
23,600 employees.
1.9 billion contributing to the economy.
You can make suggestions as to what stories you want to hear on the Live@YVR Facebook page. Or you can follow him on Twitter.
He will be living at the airport between August 17 and November 4th.
The prize is said to be worth $15K.
I am not sure I would want it.
If you see him, stop and talk to him. You just might be featured in one of his short films.
****************************
* Development of YVR came about when, in 1927 Charles Lindbergh refused to land in Vancouver on his North American tour - because of a lack of a proper airport.
Since then YVR has won numerous awards including Skytrax Best Airport in North America (voted by passengers worldwide) in 2007 and 2010, and regionally voted Best Canadian Airport.
You now can take the Skytrain (rapid transit) to downtown Vancouver from the airport.
For 80 days?
And happy about it???
No, this isn't a Tom Hanks movie.
This guy was the winner - out of 90 entries - in a contest to celebrate YVR's 80th birthday*.
He will live at the Fairmont Hotel right on the grounds, and will receive $50 per day in vouchers to eat at the airport and has a pass to get in anywhere in YVR.
He will be reporting each day of what goes on in the daily life at YVR.
This was his entry:
What goes on at an airport?
16.8 million passengers in 2010
293K takeoffs and landings
400 plus businesses.
23,600 employees.
1.9 billion contributing to the economy.
You can make suggestions as to what stories you want to hear on the Live@YVR Facebook page. Or you can follow him on Twitter.
He will be living at the airport between August 17 and November 4th.
The prize is said to be worth $15K.
I am not sure I would want it.
If you see him, stop and talk to him. You just might be featured in one of his short films.
****************************
* Development of YVR came about when, in 1927 Charles Lindbergh refused to land in Vancouver on his North American tour - because of a lack of a proper airport.
Since then YVR has won numerous awards including Skytrax Best Airport in North America (voted by passengers worldwide) in 2007 and 2010, and regionally voted Best Canadian Airport.
You now can take the Skytrain (rapid transit) to downtown Vancouver from the airport.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Cilantro Soup. You LOVE it.
Nothing better than soup on a cold day in the North.
It can also taste good in hot weather - when it's cold!
When I lived in California, one of my nurse buddies brought in a soup for us to taste.
It's the perfect hot-weather soup - refreshing! - and for those who like Cilantro...it's the perfect thing to make.....AND it doesn't require turning on a stove!
I haven't been able to find this recipe online - tell me if you have.
To accomplish: just put each soup in a pouring container and pour each on opposite sides at the same time - very carefully!
This cold soup is easy to make, is delicious and gets rave reviews whenever I serve it!
Believe me when I say - Yum!
************************
I did find an alternative - made with avocado that sounds just as delicious!
I have also made a cold squash soup and poured 1/2 cilantro/ 1/2 squash soup into the bowl for a very pretty combo!
It can also taste good in hot weather - when it's cold!
When I lived in California, one of my nurse buddies brought in a soup for us to taste.
It's the perfect hot-weather soup - refreshing! - and for those who like Cilantro...it's the perfect thing to make.....AND it doesn't require turning on a stove!
I haven't been able to find this recipe online - tell me if you have.
To accomplish: just put each soup in a pouring container and pour each on opposite sides at the same time - very carefully!
Emerald Soup
1 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves (2 1/2 oz)
Hold back a couple sprigs of cilantro for garnish
3/4 cup scallions, coarsely chopped
29 oz chicken broth (or if you are a vegetarian: vegetable broth)
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Place cilantro, scallions, parsley and 1/2 the broth in a blender.
Process for 30 seconds.
Add yogurt and blend additional 15 seconds.
Pour into 6 cup container and whisk in remaining broth.
Chill overnight.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and freshly ground pepper.
This cold soup is easy to make, is delicious and gets rave reviews whenever I serve it!
Believe me when I say - Yum!
************************
I did find an alternative - made with avocado that sounds just as delicious!
I have also made a cold squash soup and poured 1/2 cilantro/ 1/2 squash soup into the bowl for a very pretty combo!
 |
| random internet photo, but very similar to what it would look like |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Why are People such Freaking Pigs?
I will NEVER understand it.
It happens at work.
It happens in the community.
Signs ignored - a simple "Don't leave your dishes in the sink" or, on the beach "Please use garbage containers provided"....yet people will ignore Rules of Cleanup and leave their dirty messes behind for others to clean up.
The last night of the Vancouver fireworks is over, and the cleanup downtown is not only going to be immense - but expensive.
How difficult is it to bring along a bag and carry your trash home with you? Or put it in the cans provided?
How difficult is it to wash your one dish when you are done?
When you add ONE person not cleaning up after themselves with several more or thousands more....the results are the same:
Others are left to clean up after you.
People are such freaking pigs.
*sigh*
All right. I think I am ok now.
(and my apologies to pigs - the animals. )
It happens at work.
It happens in the community.
 |
| photo: CTV news |
Signs ignored - a simple "Don't leave your dishes in the sink" or, on the beach "Please use garbage containers provided"....yet people will ignore Rules of Cleanup and leave their dirty messes behind for others to clean up.
The last night of the Vancouver fireworks is over, and the cleanup downtown is not only going to be immense - but expensive.
How difficult is it to bring along a bag and carry your trash home with you? Or put it in the cans provided?
How difficult is it to wash your one dish when you are done?
When you add ONE person not cleaning up after themselves with several more or thousands more....the results are the same:
Others are left to clean up after you.
People are such freaking pigs.
*sigh*
All right. I think I am ok now.
(and my apologies to pigs - the animals. )
Saturday, August 6, 2011
When Babies Cry: think PURPLE
In 2009, Children's Hospital here in British Columbia, initiated a province-wide project called "The Period of PURPLE Crying Prevention Program ".
Research suggests that "colic" is a normal developmental stage rather than a medical condition. The booklet and DVD distributed explains babies crying in a simple and easy way - and suggests practical ways to control parental frustration and anger- that is helpful for parents.
Nurses played an integral role in the distribution process.
Process & Stats:
First "dose"- Over 90% of new parents in all the hospitals across B.C. are receiving the program materials on each maternity unit.
Second "dose"- Over 93% of Public Health nurses discuss the five talking points with the parents.
- Approximately 80% of the time nurses encourage parents to share PURPLE crying materials with the baby's temporary caretakers.
-80% of fathers are present when PURPLE materials are presented on the maternity unit.
-In addition to listening to presentation by nurses, 75% of parents watch/read the materials given to them.
The results have been astounding.
Outcome measures:
-Statistics show that Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) usually happens in the first 6 months of a baby's life, therefore it is expected that the program will have an effect on those babies 6 months and younger.
-In 2010 there were no definite cases of SBS in infants under 6 months of age. This was down from 6 cases in the previous year.
- In 2010 there were 3 cases of possible to definite cases of physical abuse in infants under 6 months of age. This is down from 18 in the previous year.
- For infants age 0-6 months of age there was a 31% reduction of hospital visits at Children's Hospital's Emergency Department for colic and crying unrelated to disease or injury.
In 3 studies to date in the USA - cases of SBS have doubled during the recession. Here is a map of those provinces or states that have implemented the program. The US Military has partnered with NSBS (National SBS) to develop materials specifically for their troops.
Take a look at the map. If your state/province isn't one of them, the best thing you can do for babies is lobby to implement it. It's a great tool for parents.
Children's Hospital sent out a thank-you letter to all those Nurses involved, which included us:
Wow. The letter almost made me cry. Amazing what health education can do and how we as nurses can make a huge difference in the community.
Course Information/Course info
Research suggests that "colic" is a normal developmental stage rather than a medical condition. The booklet and DVD distributed explains babies crying in a simple and easy way - and suggests practical ways to control parental frustration and anger- that is helpful for parents.
Nurses played an integral role in the distribution process.
Process & Stats:
First "dose"- Over 90% of new parents in all the hospitals across B.C. are receiving the program materials on each maternity unit.
Second "dose"- Over 93% of Public Health nurses discuss the five talking points with the parents.
- Approximately 80% of the time nurses encourage parents to share PURPLE crying materials with the baby's temporary caretakers.
-80% of fathers are present when PURPLE materials are presented on the maternity unit.
-In addition to listening to presentation by nurses, 75% of parents watch/read the materials given to them.
The results have been astounding.
Outcome measures:
-Statistics show that Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) usually happens in the first 6 months of a baby's life, therefore it is expected that the program will have an effect on those babies 6 months and younger.
-In 2010 there were no definite cases of SBS in infants under 6 months of age. This was down from 6 cases in the previous year.
- In 2010 there were 3 cases of possible to definite cases of physical abuse in infants under 6 months of age. This is down from 18 in the previous year.
- For infants age 0-6 months of age there was a 31% reduction of hospital visits at Children's Hospital's Emergency Department for colic and crying unrelated to disease or injury.
In 3 studies to date in the USA - cases of SBS have doubled during the recession. Here is a map of those provinces or states that have implemented the program. The US Military has partnered with NSBS (National SBS) to develop materials specifically for their troops.
Take a look at the map. If your state/province isn't one of them, the best thing you can do for babies is lobby to implement it. It's a great tool for parents.
Children's Hospital sent out a thank-you letter to all those Nurses involved, which included us:
"These are preliminary outcomes. More years of evaluation are necessary. However, these outcomes are a tremendous credit to the nurses of British Columbia. We all have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us to make these initial encouraging results permanent. Thank you NURSES of B.C. We so appreciate your excellent work and commitment. Please keep up the great work." signed by Marilyn Barr (director of the SBS BC program) and Dr Ronald G.Barr (head of Developmental Neurosciences & Child Health)
Wow. The letter almost made me cry. Amazing what health education can do and how we as nurses can make a huge difference in the community.
Course Information/Course info
Photo : 2,564 frames per second...
I love taking my camera places and taking photos.
This I found amazing:
Locked in a Vegas Hotel Room with a Phantom Flex from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.
I wish my camera was this cool
This I found amazing:
Locked in a Vegas Hotel Room with a Phantom Flex from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.
I wish my camera was this cool
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Welcome to Canada!
Congratulations to "An American Yankee in Canada"....who was *just* granted her permanent resident card. I know how difficult and tedious the process is, since my husband and I went through the same thing approximately 3 years ago!
In honor of the occasion - here is our National Animal to welcome you:
In honor of the occasion - here is our National Animal to welcome you:
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
First Responder /Firefighter
Danny Watkins needed a credit for his schoolwork and as a result - discovered a vocation he grew to love: Firefighting.
Heaven knows, Kelowna B.C. has had it's share of fires.
As a 16-year-old boy he joined - in a junior member capacity - the West Kelowna Fire and Rescue Team for high school credits.
In his spare time, like most Canadian boys, he played Hockey and Rugby.
Associating with the squad at the West Kelowna station, he matured and was deeply influenced by the men he worked with. The guys he worked with were his heroes.
It wasn't a surprise then, when Danny decided he would like to go to a Junior College in Northern California to further his career in firefighting - taking a Fire Science course - stumbling into football in the process.
Someone told him he could have his college fees paid for if he went on a football scholarship.
His first year in football was a steep, painful learning curve because of his ignorance of Football. Due to his overwhelming love for all things hockey, and his thinking that football just got in the way of hockey, he didn't even know the bare rudiments of Football.
However, his attitude, determination and focus which he learned as a Firefighter - and the mean streak as a Hockey player - transferred well onto the Football field.
It wasn't that he hated football, he just didn't care for it all that much. Football in general, isn't taken as seriously as Hockey in Canada.
It's not that the Canadian Football enthusiasts in his home town didn't try.
He was recruited for the Okanagan Sun (Kelowna) junior football team, but came down with appendicitis prior to football training and ended up in the hospital - recovery nixed any further thought of playing football.
He didn't play one game until he stumbled into it at College - which he only went for the schooling.
With only two years junior college and then on to Baylor on another scholarship in Dallas, he has managed to become one of the first Canadians to be picked in the first rounds of both CFL and NFL drafts since 1986.
Funny thing - he wouldn't have even attended the draft pick except that he was wanting to make a pilgrimage to Ground Zero and visit the guys at the Firestation in NYC - out of respect for their 9/11 losses.
It was the first thing he thought of when he woke up that morning of the draft - and definitely his priority.
Danny and his Five Firefighter friends from Kelowna were welcomed like long-lost brothers.
To say "thanks"....Danny had to get his new friends tickets for the draft pick. They were thrilled to go.
Apparently, during the lengthy process of draft choices, he was more nervous about keeping his friends waiting than about whether he was actually going to be picked or not.
His firefighter buddies from Ktown and NYC - cheered him on as his name was called.
Six foot three inches and 310lbs - he is now a Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Guard - on a 4 year contract worth $7.9Million.
But this isn't where the story ends.
Wouldn't you know it - first day of practice - a medical emergency occurred.
A team mate - defensive tackle, Mike Patterson - had a seizure on the practice field this am.
Danny's Emergency Response training kicked in as he attended to the player.
The day before he managed to free himself and another player out of a stuck elevator.
I guess you just can't take the Firefighter out of the Football player.
Or the Hockey out of the football player.
He admits to missing the Firehall "a lot" and still prefers to watch the NHL over any NFL game.
Good on ya, Home town boy!
Heaven knows, Kelowna B.C. has had it's share of fires.
As a 16-year-old boy he joined - in a junior member capacity - the West Kelowna Fire and Rescue Team for high school credits.
In his spare time, like most Canadian boys, he played Hockey and Rugby.
 |
| visiting the Philadelphia Fire Hall |
It wasn't a surprise then, when Danny decided he would like to go to a Junior College in Northern California to further his career in firefighting - taking a Fire Science course - stumbling into football in the process.
Someone told him he could have his college fees paid for if he went on a football scholarship.
His first year in football was a steep, painful learning curve because of his ignorance of Football. Due to his overwhelming love for all things hockey, and his thinking that football just got in the way of hockey, he didn't even know the bare rudiments of Football.
However, his attitude, determination and focus which he learned as a Firefighter - and the mean streak as a Hockey player - transferred well onto the Football field.
It wasn't that he hated football, he just didn't care for it all that much. Football in general, isn't taken as seriously as Hockey in Canada.
It's not that the Canadian Football enthusiasts in his home town didn't try.
He was recruited for the Okanagan Sun (Kelowna) junior football team, but came down with appendicitis prior to football training and ended up in the hospital - recovery nixed any further thought of playing football.
He didn't play one game until he stumbled into it at College - which he only went for the schooling.
With only two years junior college and then on to Baylor on another scholarship in Dallas, he has managed to become one of the first Canadians to be picked in the first rounds of both CFL and NFL drafts since 1986.
Funny thing - he wouldn't have even attended the draft pick except that he was wanting to make a pilgrimage to Ground Zero and visit the guys at the Firestation in NYC - out of respect for their 9/11 losses.
It was the first thing he thought of when he woke up that morning of the draft - and definitely his priority.
Danny and his Five Firefighter friends from Kelowna were welcomed like long-lost brothers.
To say "thanks"....Danny had to get his new friends tickets for the draft pick. They were thrilled to go.
Apparently, during the lengthy process of draft choices, he was more nervous about keeping his friends waiting than about whether he was actually going to be picked or not.
His firefighter buddies from Ktown and NYC - cheered him on as his name was called.
Six foot three inches and 310lbs - he is now a Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Guard - on a 4 year contract worth $7.9Million.
But this isn't where the story ends.
Wouldn't you know it - first day of practice - a medical emergency occurred.
A team mate - defensive tackle, Mike Patterson - had a seizure on the practice field this am.
Danny's Emergency Response training kicked in as he attended to the player.
The day before he managed to free himself and another player out of a stuck elevator.
I guess you just can't take the Firefighter out of the Football player.
Or the Hockey out of the football player.
He admits to missing the Firehall "a lot" and still prefers to watch the NHL over any NFL game.
Good on ya, Home town boy!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)