Dalton Sherman

This kid is amazing - and is from this point forward my answer when anyone asks me why I do what I do. :D Thx P&P for sharing this today.

Tag!

I was tagged by Alex - formerly the Everyday Mother. Here's how it works -



So here goes:

1. I enjoy wrestling. I have since I was 7. It started as a way to bond with my dad, and became a huge interest of mine well after he stopped watching regularly. And anyone who knows a little on the topic - before engaging me on the subject, beware - I am a smark. Look it up. ;)
2. I'm not even 5 ft. tall - which means apparently I should be in a booster seat lol.
3. The reason I am not even 5 ft. tall is that I have Turner's Syndrome - details at the link. This would also explain why Ari and I are adopting.
   
4. My step-dad used to be my ex-boyfriend's step-dad. He and my mom met through N and I around the time on-again off-again became off-again fairly permanently.
5. I met Stephane Dion eight years ago via my local newspaper when I was on their community editorial board - a very intelligent and good man who I wish the best of luck in becoming PM.
6. I was named after a Fleetwood Mac song.
7. If asked to list my two favourite musical artists, I would say Billy Joel and Eminem - how many people can say THAT? lol

Tagging (only 4 as I don't know any other bloggers lol) -

Alex back
Elizabeth
Tatiana
Zah

And for my American friends

I hear you guys have a wee little election coming up too! AND your registration deadlines are upcoming, if not already past. So please do what the rest of the world can't do for your upcoming election - please vote. Posting this on behalf of my non-blogging Yankee hubby, who has already done so (absentee ballot), and the rest of us who await your decision with baited breath. XO

Register to vote!

Just wanted to remind my fellow Canadians out there that tomorrow is the deadline to register with Elections Canada to vote in the upcoming Federal election. It is shaping up to be incredibly close, so if you have a party you feel would do a good job as the government of our country for the next four years, it is important that you make sure you register, and get out to vote in ten days. I know I will be! :)

Meanwhile, it's time to finish up my usual round of weekend chores and go out this evening to see WWE's big wrestling event tonight at the local movie theatre (we could watch it more cheaply at home but figure we owe ourselves a date night - lol how romantic). Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday, and back to work tomorrow! Wishing everyone a great week ... hoping to have one myself. Anyone who prays, remember that we are waiting on an important phonecall or two this week, and please keep us in your thoughts. Thanks! XO

Yankee Politics and Personal Update

After watching the French language Canadian leader's debates the other night, I don't feel too bad that I forwent the English debates in order to satisfy my carwreck-watching tendencies by watching the Joe Biden-Sarah Palin debate from the US (they're Barack Obama's and John McCain's vice-presidential picks, for those of you living under various forms of rock).

All I can say is this - for the pundits out there to say Sarah Palin succeeded by not embarrassing herself, and establishing herself as a legit candidate - have our standards really fallen that low? I mean, she did not, that I could immediately catch, *outright* state untruths (although I'm sure a quick duck over to http://www.factcheck.org would fix that perception in a hurry) nor did she make any major, George W. Bush-esque misspeakings or gaffes; but she evaded more questions than she answered (after Barack Obama has been heavily criticized for the same), and the answers she DID deliver were either trite, glib platitudes, or energy-centric.

Beyond which, her platitudes were fallacious - "How can people who are supposed to represent the future and to represent change, focus so much on the past?" she asked of Obama-Biden; well, how about to provide an explanation for why a change is necessary? Sorry if tying your ticket to Bushism hurts, but it is accurate given John McCain's voting record thus far.

Joe Biden, meanwhile, did a better job than any of the candidates so far in my opinion, including his principal, Barack Obama. He answered every question in a direct and forthright manner, including a couple Obama had weaved around. His choking up in reference to women not having the monopoly on parental love and concern was real - it did not feel like a put-on or a calculated display of humanity like (admittedly, even one of my favourites) Hillary Clinton indulged in in the early days of the primaries when she cried after losing one, as she was heading quickly into another. I don't see how it can be a politically calculated move to break down in a formal debate, thus making it real, and a point well-taken; Sarah Palin is campaigning because she's the Hockey Mom married to Joe Six-Pack; well, even those who are educated, aware of the issues, and can speak extemporaneously without hours and days and weeks of prep, can love and care for their families deeply.

Regardless, Joe Biden definitely came out the winner here - and perhaps the most presidential of all the candidates thus far. I cannot WAIT for November, as I believe strongly the bloom is off the Sarah Palin rose. And in the meantime, life personally is humming along nicely for me - work=good, diet=good (11 pounds down in two weeks, courtesy of Nutrisystem, ballroom dancing and my local YMCA), I had my first production meeting for the January 1-Act Plays with Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre tonight and that went well too -- soooo excited, after letting some individuals I should never have worked with damper my enthusiasm for the theatre - and lastly and most importantly ... well, let's put it this way: due to confidentiality issues, it is very possible that in the coming weeks ahead I might have to up the discretion factor as it regards the adoption process. :D

In which case, while I can't share any kind of details until things are finalized (and even then will need some clarity on what is acceptable - while I have no intention of sharing anything REMOTELY identifying such as names or photos etc. regardless, I want to find out if 'It's a boy/girl' or 'Son/daughter learned to "x" today' is OK), but please know my silence is a good sign, and those of you who are REALLY near and dear to me will of course be kept in the loop as much as we can. Thanks for your prayers and support as always, and have a great weekend. VOTE DION! VOTE OBAMA! :D

Le debat des chefs

(moins les accents, parce que je ne sais pas comment les utiliser sur l'ordinateur).

Ce soir etait le debat francais des chefs des parties federales ici en Canada. Nous allons voter le 14 octobre. C'etait un debat tres interessant, et j'etait fiere de moi-meme que j'ai le comprendre assez bien - je suis enseignante de francais, je peux le parler assez bien, et ma comprehension n'est pas mal non plus; mais c'est encore ma langue deuxieme, alors honnetement j'ai encore des difficultes quand les francophones parlent trop vite a la tele, et je fais des erreurs dans mon ecriture quelquefois aussi. Mais je veux essayer de communiquer en francais ce soir, mes opinions de le debat. Excuse my French. ;)

Selon moi, tous les chefs etaient assez competent. Elizabeth May etait le plus faible en francais, mais elle a communique ses points dans un facon comprehensible, et sauf pour quelques erreurs de syntax, sa langue simple et direct etait de temps en temps un change positif de la langue si complique des autres chefs. Gilles Duceppe et Stephan Dion etait le plus comfortable dans la langue, parce qu'ils etaient les deux francophones au debat; mais Jack Layton et Stephen Harper sont presque parfaitment bilingue, alors c'etait un debat plus eloquent que ceux qui ont inclue Preston Manning, il y a dix annees ou plus.

Comme enseignante de francais, qui est clairment bilingue mais qui veux aussi apprendre plus de francais, et ameliorer mon utilisation de la langue, la langue c'etait un des plus grands choses que j'ai observer.Mais je suis aussi quelqu'une qui aime discuter les politiques, et qui etait interessee par le content des debats aussi. Moi je suis Liberale, et a ce facon, je pense que Stephan Dion a fait un case extraordinaire pour un gouvernement Liberal apres le 14 octobre. Jack Layton aussi a lui aquite avec honneur et intelligence, et si je peux etre honnete, si je n'etait pas une Quebecoise anglophone, et si il n'etait pas un separatist, je croix que Gilles Duceppe peux me convaincre de lui donner ma vote ... si j'etait encore en Quebec, alors. ;)

Mais finalement, il y a seulement une chose qui est certaine: Stephen Harper a perdu le debat ce soir. Moi, je croix que Stephan Dion a gagner, mais je peux voir que c'etait un debat fort, et que tout le monde a peut etre eu un opinion differente au sujet de le ou la gagnant(e). Mais le chef des Conservateurs etait en ligne de feu des autres chefs, et je ne pense pas qu'il a convaincu les citoyens de Canada qui ne l'a pas supporte deja, de lui donner leur vote en quelques semaines.

Can't wait for the English debates tomorrow - more then ... and easier to write! ;) I may be a French teacher but it's still my second language after all ... and working without accents. Boo! Good night all.

Oh man ... tired ...

Exactly what the title says.

Wishing for better weather ... that always tires me out.

Waiting for an email ... watched pots never boil.

Feeling hopeful about a whole bunch of possibilities I'm not QUITE ready to talk about here yet.

But knowing hope itself is almost more important than that which is hoped for.

Not in this case though ... ;)

Fingers crossed on all fronts.

Wish for my good luck - I'll wish for yours.