Speech Pathologist Session

Very interesting! I was taken to a sound-proof room and hooked up to a microphone. She recorded my voice in a bunch of different ways from speaking to singing. I have two pages worth of daily excercises to reduce the scarring. I found the process fascinating, I do believe that deep inside me is a scientist/doctor waiting to get out if only I could jump start the grey cells neccesary to study all the information. She thinks that my voice will improve with the excercises and the arthritis medications. I really hope she is right and that I haven't done permanent dammage to my voice.

February 2007 Books and Movies

Kinky Boots (DVD)

Cute British off-beat flick about a shoe factory fighting to stay in business. They find a niche market in making fetish footwear for men but the small town mentality is hampering their efforts. The message of tolerance and acceptance is well put, but the bashing over the head with symbolism is a little much. I like home grown British fare, so enjoyed it very much.

Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys
Dave Barry

Not as funny as expected. It's very topical and written 12 years ago, so reads a little out of date. I laughed out loud twice but the downside was that I only laughed those two times. The urinal diagrams provided some very interesting new information. Got to the last 50 pages and started skimming. I think I'll wait a while before trying another Dave Barry book.

Rabbit Proof Fence (DVD)

Unbelievably beautiful. Three mixed aboriginal girls are forcebly removed from their homes and taken to a camp to be trained as servants. They follow the rabbit proof fence (the longest fence in the world, built to keep rabbits from invading the farmland) over 2000 km back to their homeland. A very sad commentary on not only Australian history, but on most aboriginal/european relations throughout the world. That people continue to force change on what they do not understand is one of humanity's greatest dysfunctions. The aboriginal children who played the main characters were heartbreakingly realistic, likely because they had never acted before. Watching the behind the scenes documentary tells you more about how this experience changed the girls too much, they came into the film completely innocent and have walked away changed and I'm not sure for the better. They ask the girls what they want to be when they grow up and all three of them say actor/director, but they haven't done anything else according to IMDB. This suggest to me that the experience may have been too much for them. As far as the adult actors, absolutely stellar, Kenneth Branagh and a host of Australian stars. The cinematography is phenomenal, showing the extreme climates of Australia and the sheer force of nature the girls were up against. An absolute must see.

Etre et Avoir (DVD)

Beautiful documentary about the workings of a one room school house in the middle of rural France. I loved the way the teacher and students were almost oblivious to the camera. You felt like a invited observer as opposed to a intruder. The children are unconciously funny and Mr. Lopez is the three Cs to a T, committed, consistant and caring. I was so engrossed that I was surprised when it ended. The rural dialectal French is hard to understand, so I found myself reading the subtitles to double check what I had just heard. This movie has been on my must see list since it came out in 2002. Time well spent.

Music and Lyrics

Really bad! Although the 80s new wave band spoofs were funny and there were a few good one-liners. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore do not have any chemistry. Too bad, I've liked them in movies like this individually. Give this one a miss unless you are really bored and need a mindless dvd rental.

Catch and Release

Ummmm, not bad, not good. Fairly static romantic comedy (referred to as rom coms these days...cheesy!) Kevin Smith makes it watchable, Jennifer Garner makes you cringe, supporting cast are pretty and so-so. The most interesting thing about it was that it looked like they started filming some time ago (ancient analogue green back lit cell phone) and shelved it. Most movies that come out in February are run of the mill as not to upset the Oscars. This one definitely qualifies. Ho hum.

12 Riffs on the Power of Music
Edited by Jennifer Armstrong

Great read for young people (12-16) about how music affects diffent people. The short stories are great for read aloud to jump start a lesson or to practice public reading. Could easily be turned into a writing project for grade 9 or 10 English. I thouroughly enjoyed the diverse stories.

The Areas of My Expertise
John Hodgman

Well I tried to get through this book. I really did. It was funny in parts, but I don't think I'm into his ironic writing enough to push through to the end. Amy made a observation about it being a good book for the bathroom. (I don't think you're supposed to keep a library book by your toilet... :) ) You don't have to read it from start to finish and it's chunked in all different sizes and types of text from charts to pictograms to lists. Anyway, I got through nearly halfway when I decided to throw in the towel. When I don't want to pick up a book or feel it's a chore to read, it's time to move on. Not to mention that I have a very big stack waiting paitently to be read.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (DVD)

I didn't make the choice to rent it, but when I looked it up on IMDB I was surprised to see that Ivan Reitman was the director. I usually really like his movies. This one was pretty contrived, with really bad dialogue. Didn't make me laugh uproariously, but I did snigger once or twice. You really have to be in the mood for physical comedy and sledgehammer jokes. The guy from Six Feet Under and The Office (Rainn Wilson) is a fun addition to the cast.

Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen
Glen Huser

Really great early teen read. Skinnybones (Tamara) is a foster kid and the Wrinkle Queen (Miss Barclay) is an 89 year old woman who lives in a nursing home. The two meet in community outreach program between Tamara's school and the home. Without giving too much away, the relationship becomes mutually exclusive and they take off on a road trip adventure. I really liked the dual point of view first person narrative. It's set in Western Canada and involves Wagner's Ring Cycle, so there are elements that may be new to young readers. The author gives just enough details about the two main characters to entice the reader, without comprimising the storyline. A great book for class study or stand alone read.

Voice Clinic at St. Mikes

Saw Dr. Anderson today (although not until I had been pre-screened by everyone from the front receptionist to a med student to Dr. Halal who I saw the last time I was there) at her voice clinic. The news is a mixed bag of good and bad. My voice has improved and it seems to be coming along at the same rate my arthritis is improving. She thinks it's likely that my voice has not returned fully because I'm not in remission yet. The scope showed that I still have inflammation and also some scarring on the right fold of the vocal chords. The acid reflux is still not entirely gone, so I have to continue taking the Nexium. She has suggested some speech therapy to keep the elasticity and prevent further scarring. I have an appointment next week with the speech pathologist. She does not recommend surgery at this time.

It's hard to process all this. Singing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I do it for a living, I do it for my own art, I do it for fun. Even though I can sing somewhat (I have good and bad days) I know my voice is not back to normal. My high notes (B and C - 3rd octave) and my break (G, A, and B - 1st octave) are rough and I never know how it will come out. I can't imagine not being able to ever sing to the best of my ability, but if I never go into remission that's my reality. I really can't get too bogged down in all this, I just have to hope for the best.

Hearing Raffi Speak

Tonight I went to a dinner put on by the Reading for the Love of It conference where Raffi Cavoukian (children's performer, environmentalist and self named World Troubador) was the guest speaker. He spoke about his new book Child Honouring: How to Turn This World Around, his new CD, Resisto Dancing - Songs of Compasionate Revolution with it's lead single Cool It! about Global warning. He talked about the 9 child honouring principles of Respectful Love, Diversity, Caring Community, Parenting, Emotional Intelligence, Non Violence, Safe Environments, Sustainability and Ethical Commerce. If you're interested in further explanations go to www.raffinews.com

He sang a few new songs from what he calls his Raffi Renaissance. I got a childhood album signed and was able to get a picture with him to show my students. I was really impressed with his public speaking and of course enjoyed his singing. This was definitely worth the money out of pocket. I've come away with some new ideas to add to my new project at school which is to promote social justice in our school community. I've formed a committee with a few teachers and we are specifically focusing on hygiene and nutrition. We're still brainstorming ways to deseminate more information to a largely ESL community faced with socio-economic inequity.

Looking forward to sharing my experiences at the conference and putting new ideas into practice

Happy Valentine's Day!

You know you have a pretty amazing boyfriend when the whole of Halton region is having a snow day and he doesn't even have to go to to work yet travels 50 kms to see you on Valentine's Day. I came home from work to find him cooking with fresh ingredients from the St. Lawrence market and a bouquet of flowers waiting to be opened. I even got a Starbucks card, which I know doesn't sound romantic, but is for me! Quite a way to end a 11 year V-day drought. Thanks for a lovely evening!

January 2007 Books and Movies

Cockeyed
Ryan Knighton

Loved it. Really great memoir of a man's experiences. And funny! Of course, as the title suggests, he is slowly going blind, but for me, it was more the snapshot of his life that hooked me. Towards the end the book veered towards the exestential, but hey, we all need a little Paul Sartre in our lives. I put the book on reserve after reading Amy's review and later found out that Mike has it on reserve as well. So word gets around! It's Canadian and the author is close to my age, so it made for a good read.

Pan's Labrynth

While I can appreciate the artisitc merits of this film, it truly was too disturbing for my taste. Far too much gore! On a positive note, the costumes and sets were really well done. It was interesting to see how much Spanish I could pick up from knowing Italian and French. Sometimes it was hard to watch the action and read the subtitles fast enough, although it is highly visual, sometimes too much. I still find it amazing that during the Second World War, Spain was completely isolated, fighting it's own civil war. The fantastical elements were highly digitalised, but effective. The central figure, a young girl was very impressive. She was in nearly every scene and had to act under some very off putting circumstances. I recommend it to those with a strong stomach and those who are not overly sensitive. For me it was just too much. I left with a sick, sinking feeling, and had to make a concerted effort to get past it.

Swapping Lives
Jane Green

It seems strange that I'm refining my tastes for a genre that is sometimes described as fluffy and very similar, but there are real differences and I now definitely know what I like and what I don't. I like the verasimiltude that comes from an author writing about where she lives and what she knows. I prefer it when the main character is not perfect, but doesn't flub up everything she does. I prefer the endings to be happily conclusive but not too pat. Unfortunately, Swapping Lives comes close, but ultimately falls short of my preferences. There are two main characters, as the title suggests, one married with children from the U.S. and one single and fabulous from the U.K. Typical grass is greener and the realisation that it is not plotline and not too pat an ending. Likable, but there are better chick lit books out there. A shame because I waited an age for it on the library reserve system, and heard so many great things about this author. I'll still try another Jane Green book.

Learning Curves, A Novel of Sex, Suits and Business Affairs
Gemma Townley

The more I read of this so called chick lit genre, the more picky I get with what I like. This book started out good, but quickly spiralled into a predictable read. The heroine is feisty and opinionated, but immature, learning lessons that should have come years before her chronological age. The ending was too pat! Yikes, I saw that coming a mile away. The plot is different, I'll give it that. Jen works for her mother, who convinces her to spy on her father's company, whom she hasn't seen in 15 years. There are a series of misunderstandings and foul ups that eventually lead to a predictable happy ending. Not Gemma Townley's best unfortunately. I'm still looking forward to more books from her, she is definitely second after Sophie Kinsella in this genre for me.

Freedom Writers

Not the worst teacher movie I have ever seen, but certainly not the best. Better than Dangerous MInds with Michelle Pfeiffer I thought. The best one I have ever seen is definitely Stand and Deliver. What I enjoyed most about Freedom Writers was the time setting of the early 90's which was when I was in high school. The music was a blast from the past and I was huming or mouthing the words, getting my high school groove on. I'm curious as to what the book will be like. Hilary Swank was fine, although sometimes over the top in the earnest, idealistic new teacher role. Her experience was not typical of first year teaching, more sterotypical ideas about teaching then anything else. I heard that the real teacher this character was based on followed her kids to college after they finished their four years of high school. Erin Gruwell (the real life person) should have tried her methods with a new set of students to see if they would have worked with a new class dynamic. Patrick Dempsey was drippy, and very one dimensional as the hard done by, non supportive husband. Some of the kids were great, looking forward to seeing the girl who played Eva and the Asian girl, again in something else. Also, loved the hair and makeup! It was 90s matte, wine colour and do it yourself shocking highlights at it's best!

Sugar Rush
Julie Burchill

Very good young peoples novel that deals with female teen same sex love. The ending is a bit rushed, but the writing is fabulous. I really enjoyed it. More books need to be written about gay teens for both gay and straight audiences. I really liked the first person narrative. This may be a little much for younger or younger acting teens and easily influenced kids because of the heavy drinking, drug use and sexual exploration. Descriptions aren't explicit, but there's plenty of room for wild imaginative tangents.

Children of Men

Very bleak look at the near future. It's hard hitting and gut wrenching. There are deliberate tension relief jokes and some beatiful cinematic shots. Definitely worth seeing in the theatre. I been a huge fan of director Alfonso Cuarón since I saw Y tu mamá también and then the third Harry Potter film. There are so many talented people in this film, Clive Owen, Michael Cain, Julianne Moore and newcomer Claire-Hope Ashitey. It's 2027, women are infertile and the world is in chaos. Reminded me of A Handmaid's Tale both the book and movie. I am really uncomfortable with sci-fi movies that are so close to home. At least with Star Trek type tales it seems impossible that a reality like that could ever exist. But the way our world seems to be headed with racial intolerance, gender inequity and environmental abuse this picture of 2027 seems foreboding to say the least.

When in Rome
Gemma Townley

I enjoyed this book although at certain points I was really frustrated with how stupid the heroine Georgie was being. I really like Gemma Townley's style, very similar to Sophie Kinsella, which, I expect, is why she endorsed the book. I experienced the same sort of frustration that I had when I was reading the Shopaholic series main character Becky Bloomwood. A nice story, very well tied together with the happenings in Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn. I love that movie! A nice easy read, although, if you can't tolerate stupidity then Georgie will drive you bananas. She makes a lot of dumb decisions. She has lovely boyfriend, David, whom she chucks to go to Rome with her ex, Mike, who has always been a complete waste of space. Typical grass is greener stuff. You can most likely predict the ending. Enjoy!

Dreamgirls

Fabulous and Fantastic! Jennifer Hudson is amazing, what a voice! She totally should have won the American Idol she was on. I love musicals so the sparse dialogue and characters breaking out into bursts of song was right up my alley. Beyonce was really good as well. I don't know what all the hype is about J-Hud stealing Beyonce's thunder, they both had drastically different characters who were equally important to the telling of the story. Edie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Danny Glover were all great and played their roles with the right touch of understated deference to the women who were the real stars. Costumes were really well done, a trip through the latter half of the 20th century. Go see it, rent it or buy it!

No Remission Yet

Saw Dr. Jamal and Dr. Malloy yesterday afternoon and the news is, although I'm doing much better, I'm not in remission yet. I've been switched to injectable methatrexate (subcutaneous, so not so scary) and hopefully it will reduce some of the nausea I've been experiencing. I now have a lovely new symptom, insomnia. Apparently Deb C. has it too! All my usual relaxation tricks aren't working. I must be somewhat stressed, but things are good so I can't figure out why. I slept a little better the past two nights but still only 6 hours.

Other than that, nothing new to report. Work is settling back in after the holidays. The juniors are pushing their luck more and more, especially the sixes who are hurtling full force into adolencent angst. The primaries are getting so big, it's hard to believe that some of the junior kindergarteners were only three when they started school in September.

Down time is good as well, but definitely need to find more time to be as active as my body will let me. Can't wait for the warmer weather so I can go for more walks.

Sad Day

I played at a funeral today for a truly remarkable woman. She selflessly touched the lives of so many, with very little thought to herself. It didn't matter if you knew her well or only a little, you felt she truly cared. The words of reflection from her sister and husband touched many of us there. She will be missed dearly and I am grateful to have known her.

Happy New Year Everybody!

2006 was interesting to say the least!

New job
New school
New boyfriend
New diagnosis
And probably all sorts of stuff I haven't even thought of...

Here's to 2007 being full of excitement and good health!

Cheers!

December 2006 Books and Movies

Blood Diamond

Very powerful, similar to Hotel Rawanda. Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing, after a bunch of ok movies, I remembered what I first liked about him when I saw him in Basketball Diaries and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Set in Sierra Leone during the worst of the conflict diamond crisis, the film tells its story from a first hand perspective of the different people involved. Definitely Hollywoodized, it still has an impact, and I'm hoping that at least a few people consider how to make their diamond purchases more ethical. I had already decided that I would never buy or wear anything but Canadian mined diamonds (supporting my countries economy and minimising the chance of buying a conflict diamond) and hope that others do the same. It is really sad, but I found I didn't cry until I read the last caption reiterating the fact that there are still so many children being brainwashed into child soldiers. Really good, moving and worth seeing.

Night at the Museum

Very cute! I thought it would be a bit dumb, and only appeal to kids but I keep forgetting that the movie makers are just as interested in entertaining the parents who are shelling out the big bucks. I'm not usually a big fan of Ben Stiller, but he was really funny. In the vein of Jumangi, the special effects were really good. It's the sort of movie that would be a renter just because I don't usually see kids movies at the theatre, but was worth seeing on the big screen. Really fun!

The Good Shepherd

This movie was good, although I think I would need to see it a couple more times to really understand what is going on. It tells the story of the formation of the CIA after WWII and is similar to a spy movie. I haven't read too many spy novels, so I'm afraid my powers of deductive reasoning were not up to snuff. Mike is a big fan, so he got a lot more out of it. I thought Matt Damon was very good, but Angelina Jolie was woefully miscast as his long suffering wife. I wasn't sure what to expect from Robert DeNiro's direction, but it was really well done with a lot of interesting shots. Even the superimposed history shots were fairly seamless. Good show!

The Goddess Rules
Clare Naylor

A much better outing from Clare Naylor. Written much more recently, I liked the main character Kate and her foil, Mirri. I really liked the message of confidence and that one is beautiful when you project that you think you are beautiful. The character of Mirabelle Moncour (Mirri) is extremely well developed, she lept off the page for me. Kate is smitten by a man who is not good enough for her, so much so that she doesn't see the man who has been in love with her for 10 years. She makes some bad decisions (this is what I like most of all about the imperfect heroine) but figures it out in the end. A good read!

The Pursuit of Happyness

Really good movie. A little depressing for a holiday film, but has a really good message about perseverance and achieving your goals. Will Smith is fantastic and his real life son plays his character's son. Bring a box of tissues if you are a cryer (like I am) you'll definitely need it.

Catching Alice
Clare Naylor

I really wanted to like this book. Clare Naylor is one of the co-authors of The Second Assistant which I thought was really fun. There were times when I was really excited about finding out the next turn in the storyline. Ah if only the telling of the tale matched that expectation. Naylor is heavy handed, too liberal with the euphemisms and far too scattered to tell a good story. The plot is fine, bad breakup sends heroine from London to L.A. where she starts a new life, gets a new job, meets a new man etc. But everything is a little pat, senarios are sometimes downright impossible and supporting characters are annoying. I did make it all the way through the book, so obviously, for me, it had some redeeming qualities, but I knew within the first few pages that I didn't like her style of writing. I do have another book by her, but we'll see if I get through that one.

The Holiday

Starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Eli Wallach and Jack Black. This movie was funny in parts, but seemed somewhat forced especially by Jude Law. I have never been completely sold on Cameron Diaz and she was kind of annoying here. Jack Black's character felt like a re-run, as if the director wasn't able to reign him in. I enjoyed Kate Winslet, as I usually do. It was nice to see her performing with her natural accent in a modern setting. Eli Wallach was fabulous and nice to see an octogenarian in a lead role. The story has potential, two women, one in the U.K. and the other in the U.S. trade houses after bad break-ups. Sometimes I think I'm missing the girl gene that likes predictable romantic comedies. I didn't even suggest it, Mike did! I did laugh, and got misty at one part, so it wasn't a total bomb, but more of a renter.

Little White Lies
Gemma Townley

This book came with a cover recommendation from Sophie Kinsella, so right away I had to have a look. Very entertaining! Set in London (which makes me miss living there a bit) and loosely based on Vanity Fair, it's about a zany girl named Natalie Raglan who has recently moved to London from Bath. She is bored out of her tree and decides to open a letter sent to the girl who lived in the flat before her. She pretends to be Cressida and one little lie turns into another and another and of course eventually everything comes out. Fast paced, more or less believable with a nice happy ending. Great bus and subway read. In fact I almost missed my stop one day, I was so in to it! I really wanted to find out how it ended, so actually took some time to just read. I think I'll read Vanity Fair again, it's been a while.

Holiday Whirlwind

Merry Christmas!

The holidays are always busy, but it has been really nice. Between spending time with mine and Mike's families, time has flown by. I unfortunately forgot my camera for Xmas day, which is really too bad, as it was the last one ever at my parents house. Got lots of nice prezzies, mostly money toward my floor fund, and a few lovely surprises as well. (See pics)

More in the New Year!

Nice Weekend Away

Spent the weekend in Oakville just getting away from Toronto. Have been feeling extremely under the weather the past week and a half, and am still trying to get over it. The drugs I'm on suppress my immune system, so I'm catching every thing my students sneeze or cough on me. Spent yesterday getting a tree, going Christmas shopping, having dinner at a lovely restaurant called Cilantro's, going to a concert and decorating the tree at the Hodgins sisters' house. That was by far the best part. It was calm (the tree was already up and in the tree stand) there wasn't too much fuss about the light stringing and the ornaments were eclectic. The glow from the red and white tree lights was very pretty. Am super excited about only having 4 and a half more days (I have another doctor's appointment Tuesday afternoon) of work left. Then two blissful weeks off!

Humbling experience

Take a look at this:

http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/

When I did, I don't think I've ever felt so dumb in my life. Have a very general idea of what it is about, but don't have a clue about how to proceed for deeper meaning. Just goes to show that one can be really smart at a lot of things, have the capacity to understand lots of other things as well as the ability to learn new things yet still run into something that makes you feel utterly clueless.

The pictures are very pretty though... :)

One Year in the Condo!

I can't believe how time flies... So much has happened in a year. Still have to do some things to make the condo more homey, but for the most part, I'm happy with how it is coming along.

November 2006 Books and Movies

The Life of a Children's Troubadour - An Autobiography
Raffi

I've gotten a lot out of reading this book. My mother was in touch with all things kid friendly in the late 70's and Raffi's first album, Singable Songs for the Very Young is imbedded in my psyche. I didn't realise how far imbedded until I started teaching vocal music to mostly primary children. Every song I have taught that I remember from my childhood has been an out of the park hit with my students. He was a pioneer in children's music and even with never having children of his own, nor being trained as a teacher, he has an insightful grasp of primary pedagogy. As I grew up and lost touch with Raffi's music, naturally he kept making more, and now I have that many more songs to teach. His writing style is straightforward and interesting, very much from the heart. His Armenian background has shaped so many aspects of his life and musical career. His passion for ecology, which started in 1989, grabbed my attention and I was impressed by the large contribution he has made to protecting the environment. Raffi is one of the guest speakers at the Toronto Reading for the Love of it conference in February, and after reading this book, I signed up for that particular session. I'm hoping to get a chance to speak to him about his work and (for the kid in me) get my old album signed.

The Men I Didn't Marry
Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger

Another fun read from this duo. The main character Hallie is unceremoniously dumped by her hubby on the day they drop off their youngest daughter at college. Hallie decides to look up all her old boyfriends, hence the title. The first three quarters of the book breezes along, sometimes a little too easily, and the plot is written that everything falls into place a little too conveniently. I had already started composing my blog entry to that effect when the book took a sudden turn and turned the predictable plot on it's head. I'm looking forward to their next novel.

James Bond - Casino Royale

Normally I get around to seeing the James Bond flicks eventually, but I actually saw this one on the second day because Mike really wanted to see it as soon as it came out. As Bond movies go, it was your typical bang and shoot em up with a heathly side of female flesh for distraction. The new Bond is super sexy (and I don't go for blonds) and fits the role nicely. Fits a speedo nicely as well, check out the scene where he rises from the water! The plot is somewhat thin because of the lack of real villanous henchmen and the bosses they work for. Judi Dench was great, but I miss Q! Overall, it was a good distraction from everyday life.

The Botox Diaries
Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger

I really enjoy these authors. They have a fun style and it's light easy reading. It's interesting because when I was in my 20s I really enjoyed novels and shows like Sex and the City about women in their 30s and now that I'm in my 30s I'm enjoying reading about women in their 40s. It's kind of like a preview into what life might be like in 10 years. Their heroines are always funny, a bit klutzy and always charming. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

The Debutante Divorcee
Plum Sykes

A much better read than her first novel, Bergdorf Blondes. I just liked the main character Sylvie so much better. A cheeky novel about rich divorced socialites and their one token married friend in NYC. Very glamorous, an easy read and very absorbing. Cute all's well that ends well ending to boot. Fun!

The End
Lemony Snickett's Series of Unfortunate Events

I loved this series...right up until book 13, The End. It was a big disappointment. So many mysteries were hinted at during this series, it seemed a real let down to not find out any answers. Things are left up in the air, presumably to write more books in the future. I had hoped for better. Many others who I've talked to say the same thing. I wonder what the kids think. I'll ask them as soon as I can find one who has read it!

A lovely birthday

Spent the day in Oakville, went to Mike's concert with the Oakville Chamber Orchestra and then to a gorgeous dinner at Seasons. Especially the chocolate lava cake! From midnight to midnight I was in wonderful company and enjoyed myself very much. All in all, a great way to spend my birthday.

Best Birthday Party Yet!

Great friends, good food, an awesome band (thanks Matt, you guys rocked!) and a cute skirt! What more could a girl ask for? The party was lots of fun and the coffee lounge was the perfect venue, not to big and not too small. I was relatively organised (thanks Janet for all your help) and everything went smoothly.

Reading over the last few posts, I've noticed that all I've been blogging about lately has been the not so good stuff about my life (ie my health).

Time to take stock of the positive things:

- The DMARDs are starting to kick in and I am feeling better all the time. (Horay for drugs!)
- Great job that I love - finally one that showcases what I'm good at and sometimes doesn't even feel like work at all.
- Owning (jointly with the bank of course) my own condo in a fabulous neighbourhood where there is always something new around the corner.
- Wonderful friends who always have a good time no matter what the venue.
- An intelligent, attractive, caring, and generous boyfriend who makes me laugh. (Which, in the past, I never thought possible to exist in one person)

These are some of the things I would like to do in the near future to give back for what I have been lucky enough to have.

- Adopt a foster child
- Volunteer at the Native Health Centre (as well this will help me research my PHD proposal).
- Donate to the Arthritis Society
- Volunteer serving Xmas dinner in my neighbourhood

They could end up seeming like New Year's resolutions but I want to be clear that they are not, even if some of them don't happen until January.

Sono veramente felice e spero che la dolce vita si rimasta sempre.

New Hair Again

I know, it's a lot like the last time, just a little shorter. Charlene is a genius at colour though! I really like the cut as well.

More fun at St. Mike's

Today I had an appointment with an Ear Nose and Throat doctor about my chronic lanryngitis. It had been scheduled a month ago for 10:15am. I get up to the 8th floor only to find out that the doc I was supposed to see had just left, minutes before I got there. In fact, I think it was he who was getting on the elevator as I was getting off. Turns out he was a nose specialist within the ENT realm, so the doc I saw, Dr. Halal was better. I had to sit through a nasty exam which included a metal rod with a camera and a light put down my throat (gag city) and the film didn't even record, so there's no record of it anyway. He told me my chords were inflammed (big suprise) but that I don't have pollops or nodules...whew! He prescribed an anti acid reflux drug (which brings my pill popping up to 5 different ones a day!) and told me to go on voice rest. With my job that is tough. He referred me to a voice specialist and I have a follow up appointment in February. He did mention that sometimes inflammatory arthritis can affect the vocal chords and the the acid reflux is sometimes caused by the steriods. Apparently it's not the same kind as one would get from food and indigestion.

Arthritis Update

I'm now into my third week of being diagnosed. I've started the DMARDs (disease modifiers) and they are going relatively well. I feel a little sick and sometimes have to subsist on a can of Boost instead of a meal, but if in the end they put me into remission, it will be worth it. As for the short term pain (the DMARDs take 3 months to work) unfortunately the slower acting but longer lasting steroids didn't work exactly as planned, they were supposed to take away all my symptoms and I still have some pain which is usually worse in the morning. I am still taking Celabrex, but will run out of those tomorrow. Fortunately I have an appointment with my rhumetologist, Dr. Jamal, on Tuesday. She's going to try another type of steriod and see how that goes. Apparently this new one is fast acting but not as long lasting. Hope for the best!