The Crazee Chick's View of Life

Mo is a teenager today! Happy Birthday Mo!! Let me tell you a bit about my first baby: Mo is.... a dancer... a daredevil... Mo is FAST! Mo is calming... ... and peaceful. Mo is klutzy... Mo is TALL... and she likes to jump HIGH! Mo is a nerd... and a good friend. She loves her daddy.... ...and she loves vampires (only the 'vegetarian' kind though). She loves sports... ...loves being out in the snow and in the water. She loves to bake... and she loves babies. Mo is helpful, and she has a great sense of humor. Mo made me a mommy... and she is loved more than life itself. Happy 13th my sweet girl...I love you more with every breath.  Thank you for taking us from a 'couple' to a 'family.'  Thank you for the special girl that you are. Thank you for being you....

In a word, this book is...sobering. Terrifying. Beautiful. Pure. Oh, right, I said I'd only use one word, didn't I? Oops. This book is a beautiful love story, but not a traditional one.  It's about a love that leads to a teen suicide. Yep, see why I said it was 'sobering.' It's one of those topics that you never think to discuss with your well adjusted, responsible, life-loving, child.  Yes, we talk about sex and drugs and making good decisions.  We talk about responsibility, reputation and rational behaviour but we don't usually talk about erratic, irrational and radical behaviour.  Maybe we should. That's what this book is all about. It's about talking to our kids.  About being there for them talk to us and knowing that we are going to listen.  Unconditionally. It's about not putting enormous amounts of pressure on our progeny to perform. To allow them to be less than perfect. To allow them to just...be. If you wan...

Let me show you some reasons that Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world... Gorgeous Sunsets It's where the water meets the sky. It's full of Crazee Canucks! It has beautiful, and spacious, places for people to gather. It's not bashful about showing it's Canadian Pride!! It has people who sport both a touque and short sleeves and don't look odd while doing it at the WINTER Olympics. It has druggies who are considerate, and so Canadian, that they are polite enough to cap their hypodermics.  (Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" comes to mind here.) It has entertainers who pick my son out of the crowd and then deem him "Spiffy Good Hair." It has perfect rocks for building an Inukshuk. Here's looking at you Vancouver!  You rock!!

A funny thing happened on the way to the fight ; a hockey game broke out! This is L, and me. At the Olympics. In the Saskatchewan Pavilion. In front of the green screen. Again. Gotta love that green screen!!

Zee has been inspired by the Olympics and has decided that he wants to compete in both moguls AND speed skating. ( Insert maniacal laughter here because if you know my son, you'll know that he is NOT sporty.  He is a lover, not a fighter, and doesn't have a competitive bone in his body.) I talked him into speed skating because he's less likely to die in that sport. Speaking of death, he looks up at me and says, "Mom, when I make it to the Olympics you'll probably be dead right?" I sure hope not....

Remember my triathlon training?  Remember how svelte I was planning to be by this point?  See the McDonalds supersized fries I keep eating? See the 6 week cough/cold I've had? See the endless baking I've been doing? See the butter laden recipes I've been making? See my thighs? Ugh!! Gotta get my mojo to go-go! Next week... right after I finish this cinammon bun, and those chocolate chunk cookies.... Oy, it's gonna be a long journey back...

A couple of years ago I went out for dinner at a trendy, beachside restaurant where I had THE most delicious chicken dish.  The combination of curry, cream, butternut squash, and other veggies which my aging mind fails to recall, were delightful.   I have tried to recreate it using ingredients that are simple and quick. Here is the recipe.  You can add any vegetable you want (cooked butternut squash is super yummy!) and I think I've even added roasted cashews before.  You can serve it over rice--sticky, Japanese sushi rice is my favorite but you can also use basmati with a little bit of tumeric and butter stirred in--or you can serve it over pasta--fettucini or linguini.  Use your imagination and give it a whirl.  Let me know how it turns out!! Chicken with Curry Sour Cream Sauce: 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp butter 4 chicken breast halves (2.5 lbs each) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup onion 1/4 cup water 2 tsp curry powder 1/8 tsp ground ginger 1/8 tsp g...

For all you apathetic, Olympic-haters, don't read this post if you don't want to hear about the Olympics. I love the Olympics! I love the passion.  I love the spirit.  I love the emotion.  I love seeing people try their hardest. Whether that be in sport, in school or life in general. And that, my friends, is why I am an Olympic-hugger (kind of like a tree hugger but less tangible.) I cried the day Nodor was killed on his practise run.  And I cheered when Alexandre Bilodeau won the first GOLD on Canadian soil...EVER!   And, I felt extreme sadness and then alternating joy when the Slovakian women's hockey team suffered a devastating loss to our Canadian team.  The support and respect of the Canadian crowd for the Slovakian team was inspiring.  Although we didn't stop cheering for the Canadian team, our cheers were also shared with the Slovakians when they got the puck.  We hoped inwardly that they would have the chance to shoot on t...

I passed! I passed! I passed! I'm a Realtor now! I'm so excited! Yay!!!

...because the beauty of nature becomes even more amazing.