write or wrong?!

Isn't it great to know that these "geniuses" came up with such a simple test to define the writing careers of the world at large?! You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

I wanna soak this in

last year, a great friend of mine was reciting to me the lyrics of the following song. I had never really heard it, or really payed attention to what it said but I went home & listened to it over & over. Since then I hadn't really listened to it much............til just now. Gotta love Winamp as it randomly selects songs & more than that, I love the message of this song & needed to be reminded of it........


I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance (Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance (Rolling us along)
I hope you dance (Tell me who)
I hope you dance (Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

Top 4...

Well not like I needed the excuse to do this – but I have one – Lindsay tagged me. It’s all her fault – blame her! :) I can’t resist these things, whether they come in the form of e-mail or on blogger or whatever………so here goes:

4 Jobs I've had:
1. do volunteer jobs count? If so, I cleaned toilets for 2 weeks short of a year @ TACF, believe it or not.
2. & before that I volunteered @ the Community Policing Access Centre – serving minor subpoenas to people – but made me feel important anyway :)
3. then there was the time I worked @ Cancer Care Ontario – just data entry on a temp job I was told would be for 1 month & ended up lasting about 1 year & 1 month
4. lastly, there was a short time that I did work as a dental assistant – that seems so long ago now………sigh………..

4 Shows I've been addicted to:
1. is this in the past? Ok ok…….I love Prison Break
2. Amazing Race most religiously
3. Law & Order: SVU (or SUV for the vehically inclined – ha, ha)
4. Deal or No Deal – I know it’s a bit cheesey but I still like it

4 Movies I would watch over and over:
1. A Beautiful Mind
2. It’s A Wonderful Life
3. Shrek (1 & 2)
4. Maverick

4 Places I’ve lived:
1. Port Alberni
2. Cranbrook
3. Quesnel
4. Toronto

4 Places I’ve been on vacation:
1. Hendersonville, NC – amen!
2. Milton, VT – even if it was only for 1 weekend! :) My life was forever changed that weekend!
3. Wetaskiwin, AB
4. Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state! I was probably about 4 but it was a memorable trip

4 Places I'd like to visit:
1. Sweden
2. New Zealand
3. Norway
4. ahhh, well just about anywhere in Europe actually

4 Cars I’ve had:
1. Wish
2. I
3. Had
4. 1!

4 Favorite foods:
1. Thai
2. Gyoza & Bulgogi
3. Cheesecake
4. Dark Chocolate & Red Wine

4 Things I’d like to be doing right now:
1. Hanging out w/the peeps, or Mafree, Norrain, Jen, Kell, well you get the point eh?
2. Being in one of the 4 places I’d like to visit
3. Buying my first of the 4 cars I couldn’t name
4. Having number 4 on the fave food list & being with number 3 from the things to do before I die list – amen :)

4 Things I'd like to do before I die:
1. Learn swing dancing
2. Write something – probably along the line of memoirs or something like that….
3. Get married, have kids – white picket fence – hee, hee jk
4. Learn to do mosaics & stained glass!

4 People I tag:
1. hmmmmm, Kelley – if she hasn’t done it already
2. Steph
3. Jen – if she would even consider such things – ha, ha
4. Anyone who feels so inclined to amuse themselves w/such things

Wszystkiego Najlepszego

1972 may be remembered by some as the year Electronic mail was introduced (thank God! :) ), or Apollo XVII, the last manned moon landing to date, returned to Earth. & just because I am Canadian - how could I fail to mention the Canada vs. Russia hockey series with the infamous goal by Paul Henderson....

Whatever memories or stories may be associated with the year...........I write because of an altogether different reason.

Back in 1999 my expanding friendship circle grew to include a certain Polak.

Actually come to think of it, that's not quite right. I did make his acquaintance, yes, but as to friendship... You see, for whatever reason, I had the distinct feeling (vibe as I referred to it) that he didn't like me. Thinking of it now, it seems absurd. There were no major altercations or confrontations, in fact I had very little contact with him then, so why I felt like that???

That long ago "vibe" is what is now a source of mild hilarity to me :) being that he is now counted among my closest friends - unfortunately not geographically speaking, minor details! :)

How the heck did that happen?! I have no clue - still! We are total opposites in MANY ways.

Man, I love life, I love the weirdness of it all - I love how when you scrutinize it all up close, it's so utterly mysterious - & then, by grace, you get a glimpse of a bigger picture.

Closely analyzing that we're friends does hold a bit of mystery :) but stepping back I see glimpses of a bigger picture. How narrow my world would've been had it not come to connect with this mover/risk-taker.

He's encouraged me many times to push the limits, sometimes more than I wanted! :) Definitely not one to let grass grow under his feet. I should hate to play chess with him, as I fear he'd have me @ checkmate before I could think which pawn to move....sigh...

If nothing else my friend, you've made your mark with me........but knowing you, you're already 10 steps ahead, grabbing life by the horns & making it yours.

Here's to you & all this year holds - may it be yours & more!

Happy 34th!

C'est Moi...or is it?

Anyone who knew me as a child, actually anyone who has known me - perhaps discounting the past 2 years (?) - would know my aversion for fish, or anything really that lived in the water!

Not to see or touch - more on the tasting side of things was where the issues "surfaced" (going along with the water theme :) ). It's funny now to look back at those childhood days when my parents would try (in vain) to get me to eat fish. There were the dinner meals when you couldn't leave the table unless you ate it.....which inevitably lead to me learning to eat it, without really having to taste it.

Just cut it small enough so you can pop it in your mouth & swallow it whole with some sort of beverage. But the trick was to cut it big enough so you're not sitting there all night swallowing little "fish pills" & getting bloated with all the liquid! ha, ha

Then who could forget the times when they would "parentally encourage" me to eat it stating that, "Jesus ate it". What good Christian girl wouldn't eat fish?! I would promptly tell them that "He can have this too then!" Ahhh, I laugh now even writing this......

Funny after those long ago struggles, more so given the fact that now I actually like fish (some). It was quite an ordeal to me even when a few years ago I discovered I like & could eat shrimp. Maybe it was the great BBQing skills with which it was prepared? Whatever. It didn't stop there.

One day I bravely purchased a can of tuna & thought, ok, I can do this! I don't know how long I psyched myself up for it but upon tasting it, I wondered, did I buy the wrong can?! Did I, in err, actually buy chicken?! No, it says tuna.....no wonder it's referred to as the 'chicken of the sea!'

& lest you think these "days of discovery" are from years gone by - only the other day I tried a bite of salmon - fearing to take the whole thing & waste it if I didn't like it. Again to my surprise, I liked it!

What happened to the little girl, that with no amount of cajoling, could be convinced to partake of such fishy "delights"??? Well quite obviously, given time, my tastebuds have changed.

& herein lies my purpose in sharing this story, the fact being that, people can change. Oh I know, it sounds so simple & anti-climactic. But that's just it. We live our lives, first off being shaped by our parents (or guardians of some sort) & the shaping of who we are continues as our world expands. The experiences we have, whether good or bad, play their role in our lives.

Of course we have certain dispositions & personalities to begin with but when the years have gone by & we look in the mirror, who do we see? Sometimes we look in the mirror & see the inconsistencies, the flaws, & don't look past the image (of our lives). Getting stuck on thinking, 'well this is just who I am, it will always be this way'.

Many times I have thought - or still think that very thing - but when I have a sane moment :) the realization comes. To a certain extent - we are shaped by the events of life - yes. But when the cards have all been dealt, we are the ones who choose which cards to play.

Our past may shout from the mirror, 'this is who you are!', only it's slighty askew. This is who you were..............you then get to choose who you ARE!

& now and again - beyond ourselves - we catch a glimpse of a someone. We scratch our head in wonder as we continue to gaze, til suddenly we see.....

That's me?!

Chawklet, Chawklet

1st "Dutch guy" - now PEI Guy! My other brother Greg's birthday is today so this is me making it official in the blogging world.........

Greg, if you're reading this - whether by your WONDERFUL wife's prodding, my insisting or even of your own accord (nah :))

H A P P Y

B I R T H D A Y