Summer's Daydreams

Vacation Pictures...

2011-11-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

I finally have my July family vacation pictures all up online! I don't have a good excuse for not having done this sooner, but it matters less now that it is done. So, enjoy.

Walt Disney World

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Daytona Beach, Florida

The Best Things Are Happy Endings

2011-07-29T12:25:00.001-06:00

I have been a little shocked at the amount of twitter chat involving criticism of yesterday's Amber Alert in Edmonton and frankly, as a parent and a citizen, I don't understand it.

How was there not enough concern to warrant an Amber Alert in this case? I don't believe we should be participants of generating criticisms of our police force when they themselves are 1. Pleased with the overall process and the outcome of this incidence; 2. Hailing the quick thinking of the playground program staff; and 3. Encouraging us as citizens to continue to report suspicious incidents like this.

I understand to some this might have seemed like a waste of resources because the outcome was good. However I suspect these same people would have different criticisms if the outcome had not been good and the situation had not been reported or acted on in a timely fashion.

While you ponder the situation, consider this. A child is dropped off by an adult at the start of a playground program. These community programs have supervised hours through out the day. Before the end of that supervised period a different adult, whom you don't recognize, comes to take the child. Maybe the child doesn't want to go (stop playing) and puts up a fuss, but this adult takes the child anyway. Imagine now that this is not reported and three hours later the original adult comes back to pick up their child only to find they've now been missing for three hours.

A lot can happen in three hours... Now imagine this is your child and I think you'd find that an Amber Alert would be more than called for.

I think the Amber Alert program has been a great way to improve communications in the community and cross communities with other police services when a situation dictates speed is of the essence. I think the police need to have the confidence that they can use it whenever they feel justified and that we will trust in that, false or not. Indeed, isn't the best outcome of this that it was false to begin with and that the child is safe?

Just my humble opinion, of course. But I do strongly believe it's never a waste of anyone's time or resources if they are spent in the attempt to help one of the more vulnerable members of our society. Also, I think huge kudos should go out to the team of people who were involved in looking for this child and discovering that he was safe so quickly. Bravo.

Deathwing!

2011-07-18T20:06:00.000-06:00

Early this morning Edmontonians woke up to an incredibly orange sky that prompted many comments of the apocalyptic variety on twitter. It's hard to tell from the pictures but the air itself appeared to have an orange glow to it, everything in my bedroom when I first woke up looked orange but our window is west facing. I've never seen anything quite like it.

These pictures were taken around 5:00am in west Edmonton. You can see my other shots HERE.

The Culmination of a Childhood

2011-07-15T23:05:00.000-06:00

As we have for many of my son's birthdays, tonight we watched a Harry Potter movie on opening night. I couldn't help but reflect back through the years that my children grew up alongside the characters in the world of Harry Potter... truly they are what could be called the Harry Potter generation - as the books and movies paralalled their own milestones and life as close to real time as could be.

I found it very fitting, then, that on the cusp of my son turning 18 years old, that we would be watching the final installment in the franchise that we had loved so much. There is something a tiny bit sad but also very epic in all of this, the end of an era, in more ways than one. But with every ending there is a beginning just around the corner, new and exciting adventures to be had and I am very much looking forward to that.

Good bye Harry Potter and friends, thanks for all the memories!

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank Canadian Red Cross volunteers for response efforts in Slave Lake- Canadian Red Cross

2011-07-12T09:31:00.000-06:00

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank Canadian Red Cross volunteers for response efforts in Slave Lake- Canadian Red Cross

Our 7th Wedding Anniversary!

2011-07-07T07:37:00.001-06:00

Marriage: Allows you to annoy one special person for the rest of your life.

Happy anniversary Duncan!

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T07:26:00.003-06:00

Happy Graduation!

2011-06-29T20:53:00.000-06:00

Wesley finishes his High School career! Congrats!

Social Media Revolution

2011-06-28T17:22:00.000-06:00

Based on #1 International Best Selling Socialnomics by Erik Qualman this is the latest in the most watch social media series in the world.

This is the long version produced June 2011

Slave Lake Pictures

2011-06-27T11:24:00.000-06:00

I finally got all of my Slave Lake photos loaded up into Flickr. You can see them HERE.

Don't Forget About Slave Lake!

2011-06-19T11:33:00.002-06:00

"In all the years I've been doing this job, I haven't seen anything with this kind of speed and devastation."
- Len MacCharles, incident commander

"When you first see the devastation, it's a numbing feeling. It's going to take some time to get our community back."
- Slave Lake Mayor Pillay-Kinee

As we hear less and less in the traditional media about the efforts ongoing in Slave Lake, Alberta, I wanted to remind everyone that much help is still needed there. The Canadian Red Cross has committed to the recovery process for the next two years and you can help fund that support for the residents of Slave Lake with a financial donation (some agency's will continue to take material donations as well).

On May 15th 2011 a wildfire, fueled by winds of up to 150km, burned through the northern town of Slave Lake, destroying 40% of the town. 374 homes were destroyed and another 52 were damaged. The province declared a level four emergency – the highest on its scale - and more than 7000 people fled in an immediate evacuation, leaving everything behind. After 10 days some people were allowed to come back, but many still can not.

A month after the fire there is still much work to be done in Slave Lake. The Red Cross is still registering people and last I heard there were 200 families that the town had not yet re-connected with. Thank you for keeping Slave Lake in your thoughts as the recovery process continues.

We Take Too Much For Granted Everyday

2011-06-09T10:31:00.001-06:00

Alice Pyne is a 15 year old girl who knows she is running out of time. She has hopes and dreams like we all do - she would have liked to have been a dolphin trainer - but she knows that some of those things will now, in her words, "remain dreams."

I became aware of Alice yesterday when her blog went viral with her bucket list - and one of the things she wanted was to trend on twitter. For me there is something inherently human in this desire to reach out - a need to be known, to be thought of - simply to say "I'm here, I exist, I live... and there's so much stuff that I still want to do." I know to some extent we all can relate to this.

One of the items on Alice's bucket list is to "make everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor." This is something that is simple for most of us to do and I highly recommend it. I've been on the bone marrow registry for years and I hope that one day I might be able to help someone, like Alice, to keep on working through their bucket list and to live all of their dreams. In Canada you can start the process HERE. In the United States go HERE. For everyone else, google "bone marrow donation" and your country and it should bring up the program you need.

Another thing Alice challenges us to do is consider what it is we are putting off doing and why. If something is important to the way we want to live our life then we should start making that a priority and look for the opportunities we need. We're all relatively guilty of getting bogged down in the mundane daily tasks we feel responsible to participate in and we always put things off because we will get around to them, eventually. But what happens when you run out of time? As Alice asks in her blog profile - "If today was your last day on this earth, how would you spend it?"

It's worth some time today to ponder that question, right after you sign up for the bone marrow donor program in your jurisdiction.

We are all running out of time, just most of us don't know it. Keep on dreaming, my friends.

Catching Up

2011-06-01T10:50:00.000-06:00

My silence on this blog has spanned a period of time that includes all of my anniversary type dates - my 8th blogiversary, my 4th twitterversary, my year celebration on Empire Avenue and my not-yet-40th birthday. Let's just call it a blog hiatus.

The Gift of Time!

2010-12-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

You may recall my "Dear Santa" post in November where I lamented not having any specific or material "wants" to put on a Christmas wish list for my family. Instead I asked for the gift of time with them, in any shape or form they desired. Well this Christmas morning I received just that - and I couldn't be happier with my gifts! Wonderfully creative and full of opportunity to spend time with each other, each one makes my wish come true. I am blessed!

Duncan gave me a series of gift cards to venues/events and a written note outlining what he likes to share with me at each place and why.

Raven gave me a movie she had seen at school once and really wanted to share with me.

Wesley gave me the Pacific - we are going to start watching together in January.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T21:10:00.001-07:00

This year to celebrate Christmas I have compiled 40 years worth of Christmas memories (which I've been furiously sorting and scanning for the past couple of days) into one movie and married it to my favourite Christmas carol. Enjoy!

From our family to yours, we wish you the very best of the holiday season.

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE!

2010-12-21T17:57:00.001-07:00

Total Lunar Eclipse

Winter Solstice Sunset

Solstice Moonrise (over WEM)

Let The Bodies Hit The Floor!!!!!

2010-12-19T11:59:00.001-07:00

EMBED-Parrot Sing "Let The Bodies Hit The Floor" - Watch more free videos
Simple things like this make life worth living. This parrot makes me laugh every time I listen to him and trust me, I've listened to it over and over again. I think I am updating my Christmas Wish List - I now want this bird!

2010 Christmas Greetings!

2010-12-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Myspace Glitter Graphics

Maisie's Magical Christmas House

2010-12-16T10:31:00.001-07:00

If you're in Edmonton for this holiday season, you should visit Maisie's Magical Christmas House, located at 9619 – 144 Avenue.

The house is named such in honor of the home owner's mother, Maisie Dolynchuk, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 82 years. Maisie loved the Christmas lights so much that she wanted them to be enjoyed by people even after she was gone. The house is her legacy.

There is no charge for people to come and tour the display, but you're asked to bring a non-perishable donation to the Edmonton Food Bank.

A TREE for a Good Cause

2010-12-14T00:37:00.002-07:00

Do you need a Christmas Tree? Know someone else who doesn't have their tree yet? Today you can support Edmonton's Food Bank by purchasing an amazing live Christmas tree for the holiday season - for only $10! The trees are being sold at Churchill Square from 6am to 2pm today and volunteers are available to help load the trees into your vehicle for you.

Cash or cheques (made payable to Edmonton's Food Bank) are accepted for on-site purchases. You can also text to donate (keyword TREE to shortcode 30333 and $10 will be added to your phone bill in support of Edmonton's Food Bank) or call 780-425-2133 for VISA or MC transactions over the phone. If you prefer to donate online you can do so at edmontonsfoodbank.com via Canada Helps (VISA or MC).

Remember to bring your skates as well - you will have the opportunity to skate with the Edmonton Oil Kings on the ice at City Hall.

The Tree is Trimmed!

2010-12-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

We put up the Christmas Tree Sunday evening. Decorating the Tree is one of my favourite Christmas rituals... We have ornaments from each of our childhoods, our parents, grandparents and godparents, including homemade decorations. We divide the ornaments into piles according to whom they belong to and then we take turns adding them to the tree - recalling the people, times and stories associated with each one. For me the most important thing about Christmas is family and creating more memories spending time together.

Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy

2010-12-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past .... and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.

The life of Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) changed mine before I was even born. Like most of us, I grew up watching Disney every Sunday evening, reading the stories over and over, loving everything from Bambi to Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Then later in life I found myself sharing all of these (and more) with my own children. Everything about Disney echoes something about childhood we don't want to let go and, thanks to Walt Disney, we don't have too.

I loved the trips we took with the kids to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. There were moments there where I was a kid again - like the first time I saw Mickey Mouse!

Happy Birthday Walter Disney. Thanks for all the memories!

Christmas Time!

2010-12-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

When the lights go on at the Alberta Legislature grounds I know it is Christmas time and I should get our tree up.

Happy Channukah!

2010-12-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa...

2010-11-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

I'm having trouble this year deciding what it is that I would ask for to receive at Christmas if I were to make such a "wish list." Thing is I really have everything I need and am quite happy with what I have. I'd truly be happy just to enjoy the holidays with my family, see the happiness on their faces and to maybe steal some snuggle time with kids who will one day (too very soon) be too old for hugs or even just away from home at school or elsewhere in their lives. Honestly, this is possibly the last at home Christmas we all have together as next year my son will be off at university already (likely in in another province). Life marches onwards.

Because there isn't really anything I need, the Mom part of me would be happy just to use any extra resources we have to make this a great holiday for the whole family. However, as unselfish as this might at first seem, the truth is that it is not helpful to my family, who would like to get me something for Christmas and keep asking me for input or other direct suggestions to that end. I'm not sure what to say even though I am aware that I need to find something to say.

I'm a Mom so I really do mean it when I say things like "I'd love it if you made me something" or "Whatever you think to get me would be a treasure to me" but this is mostly met with mild disdain and the rolling of eyes (yes, both from my teenagers and my husband). My husband has gone so far as to threaten if I do not come up with something for my Christmas wish list than he will be getting me some sort of trinket with "Homer" engraved on the side of it (for dramatic affect, I'm sure).

So as I lay here in my bed and contemplate this dilemma I find I am pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. I already have a house full of possessions I may or may not use on a regular basis. I know that there are many places in the world where a small amount of money spent on me for a gift (that I might not need) could save the life of a child or improve the quality of life for an entire community. I do tire of the seemingly competitive nature of our throw away consumer economy and culture at times and yet I do realize (as I feel the same about giving presents) that my family desires to express love and attentiveness through the purchasing of a gift for me with their hard earned money. This is what our culture teaches us is expected, for better or worse. This dilemma is definitely a first world problem and in ways I am ashamed of my part in it. But I recognize too my helpless participation in it is required for many reasons. I am also relieved that this is the biggest issue facing me at this time. Life could be worse.

So, what can I tell you? There are items I suppose that I would be happy to receive, that in a perfect world full of infinite possibilities, I could see myself asking for. For example I would love to use an iPhone 4 with it's snazzy new camera, or have a video camera to make home videos for youtube or even a new camera body as mine has aged significantly. But all those cost enough money that it seems silly to ask for when I already own devices that perform similar tasks. I wouldn't cry if I opened an iPad on Christmas morning, but as I already have both an iPhone and a laptop why would I ask for that? I did want AppleTV but now with Netflix and Playstation Network the addition of AppleTV is merely superfluous. Indeed, isn't it all? That can't be the point, can it?

A scanner would help me get all my old family pictures into the digital realm (where I find I am spending most of my free time), my turtle would love to have a bigger domain to call his own (as would my goldfish), and (even though I have a gym membership) I'd love to have a treadmill at home so I can exercise everyday. I love having my hair and nails done and a tattoo would be cool. I love books (a better gift would be time to read I suspect, but that's not realistic) and I love to travel (I'd love to be going to see the last launch of the Space Shuttle in February). I don't have any winter clothes or a winter jacket (although I'm ok wearing Wes's jacket from last year). So I guess there are many ideas to choose from. I just don't want to ask for those things.

If I had my way I would ask for the gift of time. Personal time with each of my kids to get to know them as the people they are becoming and date time with my hubby, as well as family time together - a game night once a month, movie nights, day or weekend trips and time just to sit around and chat about our days. It seems as we all get busier and busier time for opportunities like this get farther and farther in between. But these are the things that I crave, need and desire. I have a strong awareness that when I die these times will be all that matter to me, not what items I have possessed or consumed in my life, but the memories of the times I was held in love by those who love me in return. And if I am lucky enough that, when I die I am once again surrounded by family and friends and held by those who love me, then I will have had, all my life, everything that I've always wanted or needed.

So, Dearest Santa, please, if you can, show my wonderful and loving family that I will happily take everything and anything that they want to offer me and that it really is the thought that counts. I promise to cherish it (and them) forever.

Love,
Allie

Santa's Anonymous

2010-11-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

We had a blast volunteering at the 630CHED Santa's Anonymous Warehouse for the Wrapping Tweetup on Friday evening.

We were "bagging" (there is also shopping/wrapping roles) so the process for us was to pick a tag for a family that shows just the ages and sex of each child in it. Then you go through the bins to select the wrapped gift packages for each child listed on the tag (the gifts are separated by age group and gender), creating a package for the family and putting it all together in a big black plastic bag. I tried to pick packages that were basically the same size so there won't be much room for jealousy on Christmas morning between siblings. This year we decided to create packages for the families that were in our area of Edmonton.

As a parent my favourite part of Christmas is Christmas morning - watching my children coming down the stairs with wide eyed wonder at the surprises that have appeared under the Christmas tree. We always have one of the kids call out the names on each gift and deliver it to each person and then we take turns opening so everyone can watch and enjoy. This ritual has always been enjoyable and wonderful for all, regardless of the amount of gifts present from year to year. I can't imagine Christmas morning without at least something under the tree for the kids so I'm very happy to support and volunteer for Santa's Anonymous. Every kid should have something to unwrap under the tree.

If you'd like to spend a couple of hours doing the same thing the warehouse could always use volunteers. Drop in days are Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9am - 9pm. You can read more about it HERE.

Edmonton Transit Disappoints

2010-11-23T00:15:00.002-07:00

Dear Councillor Leibovici;

This morning, on the coldest day Edmonton has seen in 2010, the school special express bus my children take to school left seven minutes early. It left a bunch of students behind.

When I dropped my kids off 5 minutes before the time their bus was supposed to leave I expected that they would be getting on their bus shortly. I always wait to get a text confirmation that they're on the bus, just in case something happens, so when I didn't hear from them I called to see what was going on. The response was that the bus wasn't there yet but a bunch of kids were waiting. Then one of the kids received a text from a friend on the bus who confirmed the bus had indeed left already - seven minutes early. As I could only transport four students in my vehicle the remaining children were left abandoned at the WEM transit centre.

The school my children attend is a K-12 school in the inner city and as such all ages use the school special bus route provided by Edmonton Transit for the school (Bus 717). It's a difficult destination to get to using other bus routes and that would be if you understood how to do it in the first place. A child would have to get downtown and change buses or walk through the downtown core into the inner city to get to the school.

It's very important to the students and families that depend on this bus route that the bus not leave early, especially when the weather is so cold. We trust that the bus will leave on schedule and that everyone will get to school safely and on time. I drop my children off on my way to work in the morning but most arrive via transfer from other buses and can't get there any earlier.

I contacted 311 this morning and gave the customer service agent all of the information regarding the incident and asked that someone from Edmonton Transit call me back. She was very polite and assured me that the message would be passed on but I did not receive a call from anyone, not even to acknowledge my call. This is not the first time that I have contacted Edmonton Transit with a concern and never heard back.

I need to know that Edmonton Transit will impress upon the drivers of this bus route the importance of keeping to the schedule and to remind them that there is a negative impact to many people, mainly children, when something like this happens. I'd like to hear from an appropriate person at Edmonton Transit to know that this matter will be taken seriously and treated accordingly.

Thank you for your time.

EDIT: I was contacted by a very helpful ETS Inspector today (Nov 23) who will be handling the investigation resulting from my concerns. I need to say I was VERY impressed and appreciated that he did call me and relieved to know that ETS is taking this seriously. I was also comforted to discover that the regular bus driver is away on holiday so this is likely an isolated incident/mistake. Thank you ETS! Thank you Councillor Leibovici!

Thinking about Christmas

2010-11-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

While walking around West Edmonton Mall today. I'd better get seriously organized... it's not really that far away!

ETS Stuff A Bus Campaign

2010-11-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

Starting on Monday November 22 to Saturday November 27 Save-On-Foods and Edmonton Transit team up to raise food donations for the Edmonton's Food Bank through the annual ETS Stuff a Bus campaign. You can donate items (food, toiletries, baby supplies, pet food) at the following locations through out Edmonton:

November 21, 11am to 6pm – WEM (Waterpark entrance)
November 22, 5am to 7pm – Londonderry
November 23, 930am to 7pm – Mayfield Common
November 24, 5am to 7pm – Calgary Trail
November 25, 930am to 7pm – Namao
November 26, 12pm to 7pm – Stadium
November 27, 830am to 430pm – ALL Edmonton Save-On-Foods

Edmonton’s Food Bank serves more than 15,000 people per month through their hamper program and helps Edmonton agencies provide 300,000 meals and snacks each month, including festive dinners.

Got Library Fines?

2010-11-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, November 27, 2010 the Edmonton Public Library will be hosting an event called Food4Fines where they will waive up to $25 in fines in exchange for a food donation to the Edmonton Food Bank.

All you have to do in order to take advantage of this is bring in a non-perishable food item to the customer service desk at any EPL branch on Nov 27th and in return you can have up to a maximum of $25 excused from your library account late/lost fines.

All that is required is one single food item but the library encourages their customers to bring in multiple food items for the Food4Fines Food Drive. Customers without fines can bring in a donation as well.

If you have any other questions about the Food4Fines day you can check out their FAQ page HERE.

Edmonton's Santas Anonymous

2010-11-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a really cool (and fulfilling) volunteer experience this Christmas season in the Edmonton area then I would like to point you in the direction of one of my favourites - Santa's Anonymous, a local organization that makes it possible for all Edmonton kids to receive something on Christmas morning.

The warehouse is open 9am to 9pm for volunteers (to wrap gifts or receive toy donations) and you don't even need to schedule an actual time as you can drop in on any Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday that you have some free time.

The volunteer roles at the warehouse are restricted to people 16 years of age and older (due to liability issues). However all ages are able to volunteer on the days that the presents are delivered, which is often touted as a "great event for families to volunteer together" and is "often the most rewarding and eye opening experience for children to be involved in."

If you haven't heard it yet you should LISTEN to Jerry Forbes' "And a Creature was Stirring."

You can check out the various volunteer roles available HERE to find something that appeals to you. Contact the crew at Santas Anonymous with any questions and download the forms needed to volunteer HERE. Additionally, you can support Santas Anonymous by donating toys for Edmonton area children - a simple act that makes all this possible.

If you would like to apply to receive toys for your children this year you can do so through the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton.

Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-11-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Edmonton officially launched the 2010 Christmas season by lighting a giant Christmas Tree (dressed in green and gold, of course) in Churchill Square at City Hall. There was also tents with local food and crafts, carols and some fireworks. You can see some of my pictures of the evening HERE.

2010-11-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

We Remember

We attended the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph at Edmonton's City Hall. This is where Wesley's unit, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, parades for Remembrance Day. You can see my other pictures from the ceremony HERE.

Canada at War

2010-11-11T15:50:00.002-07:00

From WWI to Present Day Afghanistan - this video is a tribute to all Canadian soldiers for Remembrance Day 2010 (via Jonathan Wagner)

Canada Remembers

2010-11-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

Veterans Week 2010 official vignette

What is the Poppy Fund?

2010-11-09T22:21:00.002-07:00

We wear our red poppies for two weeks each year and we do it as a sign of respect, as an act of remembrance and as a way of saying thank you to people who gave (and give) of themselves to safeguard our way of life here in Canada. But not everyone knows what their donation given for that poppy does or how important it is.

Money donated for poppies goes to the Poppy Fund, raising the funding necessary for the Legion to operate the Service Bureau, which act as advocates for veterans, ex-service people and their dependants seeking compensation from the government for service incurred disabilities. In addition, approximatly one million dollars (money collected as a result of the annual Poppy Campaign) is also used for direct assistance for ex-service people and their dependants in financial distress - examples include payments for food, accommodation, utilities, clothing, educational assistance, furniture, medical, dental and optical services and hospital comforts.

However, beneficiaries of the Poppy Fund are not limited to veterans and ex-servicemen. It is also used to support charities and helps provide aging or disabled people with medical assistance and equipment, meals on wheels, transportation, shelter, clothing and disaster relief as required. The Legion helps non-members and members alike, wherever the need arises.

So when you're pinning on your poppy today you can reflect upon how one little flower can have so much meaning for so many people - and how your contribution is helping Canadians every day of the year - and not just on November 11th.

The National War Memorial

2010-11-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

The National War Memorial is found in Confederation Square in Ottawa, close to the Parliament Buildings. The memorial consists of an arch of granite that stands 21 metres high and is surmounted by emblematic bronze figures of Peace and Freedom. Shown advancing through the archway are 22 bronze figures symbolic of the "Great Response" of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who answered the call to serve. Represented by these figures are all branches of the service engaged in the war and also includes the men and women of the support services (nursing sisters, a stretcher bearer and a lumberman with his cant hook).

There is also a kilted infantry soldier (in the right front position just to the left of the sailor - he is carrying the barrel of a Vickers Machine Gun over his left shoulder). There were 28 Scottish regiments in the war, eight of them in the fighting brigades. One Highland Battalion, the 16th (Canadian Scottish Regiment), won four Victoria Crosses, including one awarded to a young Piper Richardson who died at the Somme, in France, in 1916.

A memorial in Canada for Canadians

2010-11-08T00:28:00.001-07:00

The Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at the National War Memorial in Confederation Square, Ottawa.

In the year 2000 a Canadian Forces contingent flew to France to bring the Unknown Soldier home to Canada. The unidentified Canadian soldier was selected from a cemetery in the vicinity of Vimy Ridge. Once back in Canada the Unknown Soldier laid in state in the Hall of Honour in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, allowing Canadians to view the casket and pay their respects. After three days the Unknown Soldier was moved to the National War Memorial on a horse drawn gun carriage presented by the RCMP. The Unknown Soldier was laid to rest directly in front of the National War Memorial in a specially designed sarcophagus. The National Remembrance Day ceremony is held here every year.

Tower of Victory and Peace

2010-11-07T01:10:00.000-06:00

The Peace Tower

The Memorial Chamber

The Books of Remembrance

Apart from being a Canadian landmark, icon and the flagpole of our nation, the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill serves as Canada's WWI memorial. The Tower houses the Memorial Chamber that contains the Books of Remembrance, within which are recorded the names of more than 66,000 Canadians who died in the service of Canada. The site of the future Tower was dedicated on Canada Day in 1917 with the words "the tower will be a memorial to the debt of our forefathers and to the valour of those Canadians who, in the Great War, fought for the liberties of Canada, of the Empire, and of humanity."

In Flanders Fields

2010-11-06T18:45:00.002-06:00

Display at the Canadian War Museum

The WWI poem "In Flanders Fields" was penned by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae the day after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer (who was only 22 years old). Legend has it that McCrae threw away the poem after it's writing and that it was retrieved by Francis Scrimger who subsequently sent it for consideration to the London based Punch Magazine who published it on December 8th 1915.

The poppies referred to in McCrae's poem grow quickly and profusely in northern Europe but especially in newly disturbed earth, like that found in the battlefield cemeteries in Flanders. Wikipedia notes that this phenomenon was reported around the graves of the war dead even during the Napoleonic times. It's this tendency of red poppies to grow on the fresh graves of soldiers that lead to the poppy becoming a symbol of Remembrance. And now, the poem:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

Are You Wearing Your Poppy?

2010-11-04T18:26:00.000-06:00

(e)ALLIE joins the Century Club!

2010-11-03T14:25:00.000-06:00

I've been exploring Empire Avenue now since March and I've enjoyed every stage that I've traveled through as an influencer there. I really do like the gaming elements of the site, especially the achievements you can earn as you build your portfolio and connect your social media sites. However I have come to realize that what I really love about Empire Avenue is the people there. Connections I have made - both locally and globally, communities I've become a part of and the friendships forged is what actually brings me back to the Avenue every day. The success of (e)ALLIE today is not just my own success; it is the fruit of the community I have found there. I could not have come this far without the support of my shareholders and other supporters on Empire Avenue... and neither would I have wanted to. Thank you all!

We Must Fight

2010-11-02T20:24:00.000-06:00

Do you have your (e)ALLIE yet?

2010-11-02T07:17:00.000-06:00

(e)ALLIE is on the way up! Come on along for the ride!

Don't forget your Poppy!

2010-11-01T07:16:00.022-06:00

National War Memorial, Ottawa

Poppies became available at most places in Edmonton on Friday. I've heard a rumour there may be a shortage of Poppies in Edmonton this year so the best thing to do would be to get some as soon as you can.

The Royal Canadian Legion suggests wearing the poppy on the left lapel or positioned on the left side of your chest, near your heart but you can wear it anywhere that shows your respect for the symbolism behind it. Even if you can't remember war, or don't know anyone involved in serving, think of the peace you enjoy and wear your Poppy.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T23:51:00.000-06:00

For Our Troops and their Families

2010-10-30T12:37:00.001-06:00

Earlier this month I blogged about Dennis LeClair's "To Our Canadian Troops" commemorative album, all proceeds of which go directly to The Military Families Fund (created in 2007 by General Rick Hillier), a fund that assists military families faced with problems that result directly from service. This fund continues to grow through the generous contributions of Canadians whose continued support of our Canadian Forces members and their families is very much appreciated.

Purchases can be made at a CANEX, on LeClair's website, or on iTunes. If you would prefer to purchase your CD over the telephone you can do so by calling 250-860-4912.

Mooooo!

2010-10-29T23:45:00.000-06:00

I was very excited to come home and find that my Moo Cards had arrived! I loves them! These are the little business cards I have on my key chain that everyone asks about, looks at and then chooses their favourite - I find they are quite popular. I print them with pictures I have taken myself and this batch of Moo Cards has my social media info printed on the back.

I highly recommend Moo Cards to anyone who is looking for a fun and non-traditional style of business cards that they can put their own personality into (these would also work well as gift tags). Check out Moo.com for other items you can create and have printed and you too can have the great experience and customer service that keeps me coming back year after year! Also, if you would like to order something let me know as I have some promo codes for 15% off your next order - I'd be happy to send one to you.

Dancing with Wolves

2010-10-28T13:31:00.000-06:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grand son thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Edmonton Tweetup!

2010-10-26T21:58:00.000-06:00

I am soooo tired in this picture...

Finishing off a very busy week (including Beyond 2010, the Hackathon, the Yeg Girl Geek Mixer, and the Empire Avenue Boardroom) was a great BBQ tweetup hosted at the iNews880 Radio station. A HUGE thank you goes out to Edmonton's fabulous Brittney LeBlanc (and her boss) for such a successful gathering. It is great to have a venue for a family friendly tweetup and the radio station knows how to make any night fun!

Long Live the Cabal...

2010-10-25T21:47:00.000-06:00

There is no Cabal...

The Edmonton Empire Avenue Boardroom on October 21 was well attended with more than 40 Empire Avenue Influencers and some local twitterites who were EAv curious. Highlights of the evening included mingling with out of towners (e)ADRIEL and (e)DUPS, gathering together the most amount of Cabal members to ever (yet) be in one room and checking out the new Empire Avenue iPhone App that is currently being beta tested (coming soon). As always I was pleased to meet people IRL and put faces to twitter names and tickers.

A big thank you shout out goes to Trevor at Original Joe's Varsity who always treats us right! Highly recommend!

Beyond 2010 Hackathon

2010-10-21T06:18:00.001-06:00

I've stayed up all night with a great group of talented people at the Beyond 2010 Hackathon (in Edmonton, Alberta) and an equally talented group of people in Birmingham UK. We've all been hard work developing a mobile app tool to help people in the event of a disaster. It's been a fun and productive process and I really love the truly collaborative nature of the project - we've all been using typewith.me to produce the written documents and skype for conference calling with the UK Hackathon team. I'm really happy to have had an opportunity to be involved in this (thanks to Brittney LeBlanc for coordinating!) and I can't wait to use and see the final product! And hopefully we will all have created something that saves lives and eases suffering.

Look at me, I'm in a Cave!

2010-10-20T23:44:00.001-06:00

I was the featured Empire Avenue member today on the Dragon's Cave.

You can read the whole article HERE.

Red Sky in the Morn...

2010-10-20T01:04:00.000-06:00

Edmonton Sunrise Oct 19 2010

Four Easy Steps to Voting in Edmonton!

2010-10-17T17:42:00.000-06:00

I've heard various reasons over the past few days as to why people don't vote or why they likely won't vote in tomorrow's election. Some people expressed that they don't know "how" to vote and they don't want to feel dumb when (if) they get to the ballot box. I've thought a bit about this and I understand that no one wants to feel this way but the process of voting is actually fairly easy (and quick). If you are 18 years old, live in Edmonton on election day, have been in Alberta for six months and are a Canadian citizen then you get to vote for Mayor, one city councilor and one school board trustee (either public or catholic).

Here's FOUR easy steps for those living in Edmonton:

1. Find your Ward and Candidates. You can find your ward using this LINK. Once you know your ward, a complete list of the candidates is found HERE.

2. Learn a little about your candidates. Most of the candidates have websites and if they do you'll find their links HERE.

3. Find your polling station using this LINK. Your polling station is open on Monday between the hours of 9am and 8pm only.

4. VOTE! On Monday October 18 2010 go to your polling station between the hours of 9am and 8pm. Take your ID or alternatives with you (there is no voters list). The most commonly used types of identification are an Alberta driver's licence, Alberta ID card or your Canadian passport. If you don't have any of these, check this LINK for other types of accepted ID.

If you require assistance marking your ballot you can even get help from a friend or the deputy in the voting station.

If you are like me (I'm still undecided for Mayor) I encourage you to get yourself to the ballot box on Monday - at the very least, if you still can't decide, you can spoil your ballot. Remember we have something amazing here in our country but the only way our democracy works is if citizens are active participants. Just vote.

Empire Avenue Photo Contest!

2010-10-15T21:54:00.000-06:00

The Empire Building Network has just announced the first Empire Avenue photo contest.

Post an original photograph between October 16th 9am (eastern) and October 19th at 9pm (eastern) to the Empire Building Network Facebook page. The picture that garners the most number of likes and comments during that time will be determined the winner (each like will count as one vote, each comment will count as two votes and only one vote per person, per entry will be counted). You will be permitted to like and vote for your own entry and there is no limit to the amount of other entries you can vote on. You can also vote on all entries without submitting something yourself - but it would be more fun to see your pictures in the contest as well!

Check out the Empire Building Network Facebook Page to see all the rules. And good luck!

The UltraAVX Experience...

2010-10-13T23:21:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Cloud AdAgents and Cineplex Entertainment, last weekend myself and 8 other Edmonton twitter friends had the chance to experience the new UltraAVX Cinema in South Edmonton Commons.

The UltraAVX theatre experience offers you a chance to reserve your seats, a feature I'm a huge fan of and certainly took advantage of. This involved me going to the Customer Service desk where a very helpful agent showed me a seat layout of the new theatre and helped me to choose the exact seats I wanted. Once I had made my selection he gave me my tickets with the row and seat numbers on it, just like a concert. When the group of us returned later that night for the movie there was no line ups and we went directly into the theatre and found our seats. I really liked that when everyone went to grab food there was none of the typical anxiety involved with having to protect seats or try to make a jacket stretch over as many chairs as possible. This in itself might have been enough to impress me, but the theatre has more to offer than that.

The first thing we noticed when we got to our seats was the seat - like individual rocking armchairs that allowed plenty of leg room to get comfortable and lean back if you'd like. I really liked the mobility of the chair. In addition, each row of seats is positioned high enough that your view isn't obstructed regardless of where you're sitting or how tall the person in front of you is. I can honestly say that I haven't had as comfortable an experience watching a movie in a regular theatre, but then this isn't a regular theatre.

UltraAVX features a large format wall to wall movie screen, allowing for a great image from wherever the vantage point (although I wouldn't suggest sitting too close to the front or on the extreme sides). The theatre boasts dolby digital surround sound which made me feel immersed within the sound which was a neat experience. I didn't feel like the sound was coming at me like some other theatres I've been in although it wasn't as loud as an IMAX theatre. There may have been a better movie choice to showcase this sound experience (we saw Secretariat) but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless. All in all it seems to me that this is how movies should be experienced.

I was impressed enough with the UltraAVX experience that I can't wait to go back. For me, the 15.75 per adult ticket price (11.99 child/senior) is worth it just for the convenience of selecting your desired seats before hand (in the past I've waited hours in line ups hoping to get the seats I wanted), but the quality of the experience is now something that I am looking forward to, especially for the more anticipated movie releases (like Harry Potter). Maybe it's not for every movie experience, but I'll certainly be back!

You can find an UltraAVX theatre in both the Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton and Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas.

Also, read Brittney's review here, and John's here. They're awesome!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-11T13:46:00.002-06:00

In Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October. For us it is a celebration of the end of the harvest season, similar to the older English continental-European Harvest Festival and not totally unlike American Thanksgiving celebrated in November (first a pilgrim celebration at Plymouth Plantation). I think in the past it made sense to have a party after working so hard through a summer to prepare for the coming winter. In more modern days we get to focus more on family gathering and the blessings that we are thankful for in our lives.

I am thankful to live in Canada. I am thankful for the opportunity to raise my family here and that our quality of life and standard of living makes it possible for each of us to explore the things that interest us and allows us to pursue our goals and dreams. Today I am cognizant that this experience is not shared by all of the earth's citizens and I am grateful to be Canadian.

I am also thankful for my family, our continued good health and the many blessings we share together everyday.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happy 10 - 10 - 10!

2010-10-10T10:10:00.022-06:00

Everyone knows the answer to the ultimate question of life, universe & everything is 42.

10 10 10 in binary = 42. For geeks worldwide that makes today, 10-10-10, #42day. Which then, by further extension, makes it an awesome day to celebrate The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

So fellow hikers, let us commence the celebration!

"The Effect was Instantaneous..."

2010-10-08T05:20:00.006-06:00

Ninety four years ago today, on a bleak battlefield known as the Somme, along a forsaken line known as the Regina Trench, a young boy of only 20 years old would spend ten precious minutes of his life displaying such courage that - unbeknown to him - it would reach years into the future to make such an impression on me that my heart would burst when I first learned of it.

I was a young Canadian Scottish Regimental cadet (2422 RCACC) learning regimental history when I first heard the name Piper James Richardson. In my tender youth, for me, his Victoria Cross was a matter of legend and pride and I wanted to be as brave as I imagined him to be. It wasn't until my basic training that I would learn the harrowing details of the amazing story that earned him that honour and it wasn't until I was much older that I came to realize just how spectacularly terrifying that whole time must have been for him.

The setting of the story of those ten minutes is the battle for the Ancre Heights. Piper Richardson (who had joined the 16th Infantry Battalion Canadian Scottish as a private and piper) was part of an advancing company that had been pinned down in a storm of enemy fire - machine guns, rifle fire and artillery. Heavy casualties, the death of the company commander and the mounting gravity of the situation had taken the momentum out of the attack. Just when it all hope seemed lost Piper Richardson asked his sergeant-major if he could pipe them over the top. Yes, he volunteered.

For what must have been the most amazing ten minutes in Somme, Piper Richardson, fully exposed, marched back and forth just outside the enemy wire playing his bagpipes for his troops. Not a single enemy bullet struck him. The citation to his VC decoration would later read "The effect was instantaneous. Inspired by his splendid example, the company rushed the wire with such fury and determination that the obstacle was overcome and the position captured.”

Instantaneous indeed - and all these years later my heart still fills with wonder, inspiration, pride, amazement, thankfulness and a tiny bit of sheer terror when I think of Piper Richardson's courage in those ten minutes.

John Wayne once said "Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway." I don't know of a finer example of "saddling up anyway."

NOTE: In honour of this anniversary the new Pipes of War website launches today.

Guestblogging From an Undisclosed Location

2010-10-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

Duncan and I co-wrote a playful election piece for Edmonton's popular podcast talk show - The Unknown Studio. Involving Battlestar Galactica and Edmonton's 12 wards, it was a lot of fun. Intrigued? You can read it here:

Edmonton’s Quorum of Twelve (October 07 2010, the Unknown Studio)

The Force Is Strong With This One...

2010-10-07T00:37:00.010-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Soul Mate. May the Force Be With You today and for many more birthdays!

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far

2010-10-06T12:28:00.004-06:00

To Our Canadian Troops by Dennis Leclair

When I was at the CANEX yesterday I noticed a a small card advertising a commemorative CD being sold as a fundraiser to support the Canadian Military Families Fund. I found the card in my pocket today, looked up the song and enjoyed it enough that I wanted to share it here.

If you like information on how to purchase the CD you can visit LeClair's Website HERE.

Let's go see the stars!

2010-10-05T00:15:00.000-06:00

Today I received an interesting offer via twitter from Shannon Hunter, who works with Cloud Ad Agents in Toronto. Here is what her email said:

My name is Shannon and I work for Cloud AdAgents, a digital advertising agency representing Cineplex Entertainment. We’ve been asked by Cineplex to invite Edmonton’s most influential social media users to experience an ultra cool advancement in movie theatre technology, UltraAVX!

Why is UltraAVX worth Tweeting about? Because it delivers one of the most immersive entertainment experiences possible. UltraAVX features wall-to-wall screens that are significantly larger on average than traditional screens. A superb digital surround sound system utilizes the latest in Dolby digital sound technology. Special projectors provide stunning, crystal clear images. And to top the experience off, reserved seating options and extra wide high back, luxurious rocker seats.

We’re talking to the best, the brightest, the most dialled-in people we can find... and giving them tickets to try out UltraAVX on us!

Starting Friday, October 8, UltraAVX opens in Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton and Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas. We’d like you and a friend PLUS four of your followers on Twitter or four of your blog readers to come check out a movie in UltraAVX and experience what we believe is the next generation of theatre.

So, if you need something to do on Saturday (movie T.B.A.) and would like to check out a movie on the new UltraAVX screen with me (and Duncan), let me know (via @ message on twitter). I need four friends from the Edmonton area who would be willing to tweet about the experience.

Livestrong Together

2010-10-02T03:02:00.001-06:00

Fourteen years ago, on October 2, Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer - but with the news that it had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain his chances were greatly hampered. He was only 25 years old.

Through a combination of determination, education, physical conditioning, aggressive medical treatments and a positive attitude, Lance fought back at the disease. Before even knowing how the story would end he declared himself a cancer survivor. He created the LIVESTRONG Foundation as a support and advocacy group for other survivors. And he never backed down. Amazingly, after his treatments finished, he went on to win the Tour de France a record breaking seven times in a row.

Lance Armstrong has been an inspiration to me and his LIVESTRONG website has long been a source of knowledge and motivation for me as I try to incorporate healthy choices into my own lifestyle.

Today is LIVESTRONG Day - a global event to raise support and awareness for the 28 million cancer survivors worldwide. I am going to wear yellow today in support of the LIVESTRONG ideology and in honour of Lance Armstrong and the way he showed us to believe in our strengths.

You can also participate in LIVESTRONG Day online - help spread the word.

Updating my links...

2010-10-01T17:22:00.000-06:00

If you were wondering where @AllieW went ... I am now @Allie!

Please Don't Kill Yourself

2010-10-01T11:00:00.001-06:00

It's hard to be a kid/teenager sometimes. For some maybe even most of the time.

I remember it as being the most difficult time in my life. I didn't feel like I fit in or that anyone really understood me. I felt alone a lot of the time. I was sometimes angry that the world didn't seem to appreciate the person I was becoming. Sometimes I even thought no one would care if I died. At the time I really believed these things to be true.

But I was wrong. Those lonely and sad days don't matter anymore. Today the world is full of people who like me and love me for who I am - no matter what. As an adult there are many opportunities for me and most importantly, I can be who I want to be. The world is large and there is a place for everyone within it.

I don't mean to suggest that life will be uncomplicated, but it does get easier and it is worth it. There is love, sunshine and happiness to experience ahead of you. You will meet people who will change your life. These things will make the challenges easier to bear, I promise.

I wish I could say to Tyler Clementi that I would love to hear him play the violin someday, because it is true. I am sad that I will never have the chance to tell him that.

I would implore the world for acceptance; to raise caring and compassionate children; to irradicate bullying and stereotypes and for people to fight against injustice or cruelty where they find it. This is an ongoing battle (but one that can be, and will be, won).

Until then I want everyone to know, no matter how hard things are right now, how alone you feel or how desperate you might be, that there is a world where we are all one. Not everyone is totally there yet but we are here, waiting for you. Come join us.

For Just One More Birthday

2010-09-28T00:10:00.003-06:00

On Sunday a tweet from Rhiannon MacDonnell brought me to this video and the latest American Cancer Society campaign, More Birthdays. The slogan is "the official sponsor of birthdays." It's a good campaign and if you go to their site you'll see many popular artists are participating.

This campaign especially touches me because in 2004 Duncan and I both lost parents to cancer, each of them dying just days short of their respective birthdays. Of course, there is no good time to say goodbye to a loved one.

The Canadian Cancer Society also has an amazingly powerful campaign. They tell us that every three minutes another Canadian finds out they have cancer. There's a good chance that none of us will have lives unaffected in some way by this disease. We need to support research and development as we work towards finding a cure.

And until then, here's to more birthdays. For everyone.

Gunned Down in Scarlet, Coldest Blood...

2010-09-27T14:01:00.001-06:00

"When Mayerthorpe, she cried, as her four horsemen died"

I'm happy to hear today that the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that Shawn Hennessey and Dennis Cheeseman will serve the remainder of their sentences. Both men pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter in the shooting deaths of RCMP Officers Peter Schiemann, Leo Johnston, Anthony Gordon and Brock Myrol.

I believe that what these two men did was reprehensible and feel strongly they must accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions.

James Roszko, often referred to as a psychopath, was a well know locally as a criminal with a history of violent, armed offenses. It is unlikely that any rational person who knew him would have allowed him the benefit of doubt or not take seriously his stated intentions.

In addition to driving Roszko back to his farm and providing him with a firearm and ammunition, both Hennessey and Cheeseman admitted that they knew Roszko was planning on murdering "as many RCMP officers as he could." While they considered alerting police, they decided against it.

THESE MEN COULD HAVE SAVED FOUR LIVES.

Instead they chose to remain silent and that choice allowed these events to unfold as they did. I believe they had a duty to make a different choice that day, to take action to protect life.

Of course, I do feel that our system failed terribly in this regard, to this day I am astonished that a man like James Roszko was not incarcerated in some fashion. But that's a whole other topic.

Shine On Harvest Moon

2010-09-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

Tonight we bid summer goodbye with the advent of the Equinox at 9:09pm. Before that however, if the skies remain clear, the Harvest Moon will rise in the east just as the sun sets at 7:32pm. As you watch the moonrise you will notice Jupiter in the eastern sky as well. Happy Autumnal Equinox Edmonton!

How Do You Say "Fun" in Irish?

2010-09-19T22:55:00.011-06:00

According to their twitter bio, Ceilis "is an Irish Gaelic term meaning a gathering of friends for song, drink & dance." Every time we have visited Ceili's we have found this to be true; the friendly staff, good service and plenty of specials (plus sometimes a little twitter play thrown in to round out the evening) makes it a great place to hang out.

This past summer we were at Ceili's for a tweetup and they had a promotion for Alexander Keith's Pale Ale which allowed you one contest entry for every beer purchased. Needless to say Duncan was a huge fan of this prospect and managed to garner more than enough entries over the course of the evening. He really was enjoying himself, perhaps a little too much, but any guilt he may have harboured dissipated when the winning contest entry was drawn and it was his name they were announcing (well, half his name anyway, as they really couldn't pronounce the last name). He had won a BBQ. Not just the BBQ itself, but also hamburgers and beer for ten friends, delivered, cooked and served.

Yesterday, Kaley and Justin from Ceili's Edmonton arrived at our home with the BBQ and fixings to prepare for us an amazing feast. They attended to our complete happiness; making sure we always had beer, they cooked burgers until no one could eat any more and in the end they cleaned the BBQ and took the dishes away with them! I think I can safely say that a delightful time was had by all and that the hospitality shown to us by Ceili's will be long remembered.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to Kaley, Justin and the staff and management of Ceili's here in Edmonton for the evening. I will also wholeheartedly recommend Ceili's to everyone in Edmonton (or Calgary and Vancouver) who is looking for a relaxed but fun authentic Irish pub with good food and a decent selection of beer. Ceili's is an Irish pub done right!

Oh, and the Irish word for fun is craic, but I could have sworn it was Ceili's.

Allie Wojtaszek Photography

2010-09-17T22:56:00.004-06:00

Introducing my new facebook fan page - Allie Wojtaszek Photography. Please stop on by and check it out. If you like what you see make sure you click the "LIKE" button so you can see future additions to the site and (if you want to) participate in the discussions.

Empire Avenue is YouTub'in!

2010-09-16T00:40:00.006-06:00

Tonight Empire Avenue added YouTube as a network connection. You can check out my YouTube channel HERE and feel free to add me as a contact. I have recently started uploading short video's I am taking with my iPhone.

William Pitcher has created this great video in celebration of Empire Avenue's addition of Youtube. I am pleased to be included (although I'll admit it gave me chills)!

Ottawa Pictures = Done!

2010-09-15T02:41:00.004-06:00

Stone lions on guard in Sparks Street Mall.

I finally finished processing the pictures from our summer trip to Ottawa and got them up online. You can view all of them by clicking HERE.

Ottawa is a beautiful city to take pictures in. There is so much to see and so many different ways to see it! I hope you get a chance to check them out.

I See Pictures Everywhere

2010-09-12T23:47:00.004-06:00

On Friday I participated in something of a first for me - a live interview with Adriel Hampton via the social media site, twitter.

Adriel asked me questions about Flickr, Empire Avenue and how I tie them both together. The interview could be watched by anyone who wanted to follow along in real time on twitter, but Adriel also put it all together in an article on his blog called Q&A: ‘I See Pictures Everywhere’ which you can read by clicking on the link.

Turns out I'm quite happy to talk about Flickr and my photography so if anyone has any questions they should feel free to ask. The medium of twitter worked really well for an interview and it was a lot of fun so I hope we see more interaction like this in the future.

Don't Let The Terrorists Win

2010-09-11T11:48:00.006-06:00

Each year I wonder what to write about on this day and in recent years I have just skipped it. Then an email arrived in my inbox from Michael Moore and I found inspiration:

I am opposed to the building of the "mosque" two blocks from Ground Zero. I want it built ON Ground Zero.

Why? Because I believe in an America that protects those who are the victims of hate and prejudice. I believe in an America that says you have the right to worship whatever God you have, wherever you want to worship. And I believe in an America that says to the world that we are a loving and generous people and if a bunch of murderers steal your religion from you and use it as their excuse to kill 3,000 souls, then I want to help you get your religion back. And I want to put it at the spot where it was stolen from you.

Words can not describe the turmoil that exists inside of me on this subject. PASSIONATE feelings compete convincingly - some fueled by hurt, anger and a sense of duty and others originating from the caring, accepting and protective parts of me. I don't think there is an issue for these modern times that equals how the world has changed since September 11th 2001. It has, and continues to, define us.

Michaels words hit me like a hammer to the forehead. Eloquent as always, he is right. Just because the people who enacted 9/11 considered themselves Muslims does not mean that Islam attacked "us" that day. Just because some terribly bad people are intent on using terrorism in the name of Islam does not make all Muslims terrorists. Terrorists are terrorists regardless of race or creed. I hate the terrorists with every fiber of my being and I want to do everything within my power to stop them. To end them even.

Many of "us" are Muslims - it is not a crime to be a Muslim - and more than anything I want to live in a world where it is both safe and ok for you to be Muslim if that's what you choose. This means we have to stand up for them, just as we would for any other religious belief, because allowing injustice to spread and divide us only hurts all of us further.

Some days it seems as if these two sets of feelings are such opposing values that they don't belong together, but in reality I feel both of them equally and know I desperately need both to produce a rational and tempered response. I have to make a clear choice as to which one wins and I choose FREEDOM.

If we don't rise up to protect freedom (for everyone) then the terrorists have already won.

Elk Island National Park

2010-09-10T23:38:00.004-06:00

Today Duncan and I spent the day in Elk Island National Park. We've been a few times but never in early Fall before - it seemed to us as the tree's were turning yellow right before our eyes. It is the beginning of a beautiful season.

Elk Island is only 45 kms away from Edmonton. It took us a few years to discover it ourselves but now I can't get enough of it. It really is a treasure - home to Bison, Elk, Moose, Deer, Beavers, Porcupines, Skunks, Coyotes, etc - it is the perfect place to go for a day trip or camera date. Great trails to hike and you can even take your dog as long as it remains on a leash. I highly recommend it.

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice...

2010-09-09T02:20:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday Raven!

I'd like a Small Virtual Island...

2010-09-08T14:16:00.002-06:00

Last night Empire Avenue went through an "important one-time adjustment to the market," that saw some shares gain and some shares lose. (e)ALLIE fared well in the Erindale "adjustment," my stock went up just over a point (now third on the leaderboards for Overall Share Price) and I received enough eaves that I was able to reinvest in my portfolio and get the Millionaire Achievement Award (that I so wanted). More importantly I am excited that the changes implemented will allow me to produce higher dividends for my investors - I'll be watching that with interest over the next week or so.

As I predicted I was sold out by the time Erindale came into play and there seemed to be some demand so I upgraded again, allowing another 5000 shares of (e)ALLIE to be available for anyone who wants them. As always, if you are interested in joining Empire Avenue please let me know as I would be happy to send you an invite.

True Story...

2010-09-07T23:27:00.004-06:00

I had a check up with my Doctor today and he was asking me about my sleep habits - worried that a new medication I recently started might be causing insomnia for me. I wasn't sure how to answer that so I described to him Empire Avenue and told him it was hard for me to know if I was staying up at night because of the medication or because of Empire Avenue. He asked me some questions about how long it takes me to fall asleep once I do pack it in and after some thought he declared that the medication was having no ill affect and that my poor sleep habits are indeed entirely related to Empire Avenue!

Outstanding!

2010-09-06T17:10:00.004-06:00

(e)ALLIE is sold out again and I don't think there will be another upgrade for me before Erindale, although I am sure some shares will come available due to normal stock movement. Thanks to everyone who helped me sell 25,000 shares, it's been a lot of fun so far!

Let the World Changing Games Begin

2010-09-06T00:54:00.005-06:00

I just watched this TED Talk by Jane McGonigal called “Gaming can make a better world.” McGonigal outlines how Gaming (and Gamers) can save the world. You should watch this TED Talk in it's entirety but I have taken the liberty to aggregate McGonigal's points for you:

Urgent Optimism: Gamers always believe an epic win is possible;

Social Fabric: Gaming builds strong social relationships;

Blissful Productivity: Gamers are willing to work hard all the time if they are given the right work; and

Epic Meaning: Gamer's love to be attached to awe inspiring missions and epic stories.

McGonigal says this adds up to Gamers being super empowered hopeful individuals who believe that they are individually capable of changing the world. To harness this power of thought, we just have to convince them to look past the virtual world to the real life problems of this world.

But I think the challenge would also be to change the opinions of the old school people who would be hard pressed to understand why they should value or empower this type of behaviour. While I believe Gamers (like McGonigal suggests) would happily rise to a global challenge, the virtual world remains the most comfortable place to turn when a person finds little value or satisfaction in mundane workplaces were employers will never value their skills (or recognize their potential). When people are only cogs in a money making machine why would they bother to innovate at work - especially when the rewards from gaming are so much more enjoyable and readily available.

I do think McGonigal is onto something here... but I wonder how will we convince the grown ups that they should let us play?

Do you have your (e)ALLIE yet?

2010-09-05T23:17:00.005-06:00

In Empire Building Network's latest article, entitled Top Influencer Scores Compared Prior to Erindale, William Pitcher writes:

“As in July (e)ALLIE, who is ranked 12th by share price, has the best Influence Scores based on the four numbers provided by Empire Avenue. She is also the best value relative to her share price.”

Pitcher goes on to recommend (e)ALLIE, (e)ANGLER, (e)MIMI, and (e)LAUGH as the best value of the 45 share price leaders based on Influence Scores. You can view his spreadsheet here.

As we head into the much anticipated Erindale modifications in just a couple of days I think we are all trying to figure out what those changes will mean for our portfolios. It is common thought that the influencer scores will play a larger role in determining someones value - but we don't really know for sure what that will look like.

I've been trying to focus my investments on influencers who have consistent scores across all of the connections, usually in the double digits. This means (for now) I haven't been investing in those who don't have flickr hooked up or are still in the under 5 range on their scores. Of course, the results of Erindale might change my mind, but that is my strategy going into it. And of course I aim on keeping my own values as high as they can be (within reason of course, it has to be sustainable).

At the time of writing this I have less than 600 shares available... there's a good chance I will be sold out again by the time Erindale arrives. I want to thank all of my investors for their support and Bill (who by the way is one of my best investments) for good analysis and writing!

Looks Like the Summer is Over...

2010-09-04T23:51:00.005-06:00

It seems even the trees have given up on summer

In the northern hemisphere summer ends September 23 at 3:09am GMT and then we begin the season of autumn. However, lately in Edmonton it has felt as if summer might already be over - particularly disappointing since many who live here might remark it hardly seems summer ever got started at all.

As much as I look forward to transitioning to fall (and the wonderful colours it brings), it necessarily comes at the expense of summer and sometimes I have a hard time forgiving it for that. I live for the summer time, daydreaming of summer days is what gets me through the winters here.

Because I love you so...

2010-09-04T11:43:00.003-06:00

Recently I read about the Pet’s Ten Commandments posted at Pet's Health and wanted to share them here. Of course, this works for cats and dogs equally.

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Please understand that any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite or scratch you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

September...

2010-09-03T00:07:00.004-06:00

Means I am back to the gym now after the laziness of summer vacation. Thirty minutes on the cross trainer tonight and I am feeling it!

I recently watched a TED Talk (Keep Your Goals To Yourself) where Derek Sivers talks about how you should never verbalize your goals to people as it apparently makes it far less likely you will actually carry through with those goals (something about your brain considering the immediate accolades you get from people when you express your goal to be equivalent to "Mission Accomplished") so I'm not going to tell you how often I am planning on going and I won't list my most immediate goals.

This TED talk is worth a listen and is only three minutes.

Awaiting Erindale

2010-09-01T22:08:00.004-06:00

As I ponder the changes that are coming to Empire Avenue next week in the Erindale iteration and how it will affect not only my stock but also those of my investments, I was pleased to see this recommendation from (e)ANGLER on his blog, eavproblog.com.

However the rumours are true, yes they are. Peter Dutton has an amazing flickr influencer score of 46. Check out his flickr profile HERE.

Flickr has long been one of my favourite Web2.0 sites. For more than five years my photo's have been part of the community there and I have easily spent more time there than any other social media site. I'd be happy if you could pay it a visit and if you use Flickr, please feel free to add me!

The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier

2010-08-31T18:46:00.004-06:00

When I first visited Ottawa (about nine years ago) I had an entire day to myself. I was staying with a friend who lived along the Rideau Canal but he had to work so I set off to explore Ottawa, walking along the Canal (beautiful, btw) until I eventually got to the end by the Locks and then headed up towards the Parliament Buildings. Between that point and where I was going I came across the National War Memorial and of course, the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, who had been buried there just the year before (repatriated home from the Vimy Ridge burial grounds in France).

When I came upon the Tomb I was ill prepared for the feelings that overcame me; feelings that ran the gamut from sorrow to thankfulness and finally to brotherhood and kinship. I sat beside his Tomb for a couple of hours, just sitting and thinking about who this person must have been and what his life meant - both at the time he gave it for our country and now, to me (to all of us really).

I could not visit Ottawa without visiting this old soldier again. He may not have a name and we may not ever really know who he is but we do know that he gave us everything in the hopes that we would continue to live free in this world as Canadians. I owe him everything.

His Inner Cowboy

2010-08-30T01:18:00.005-06:00

"There is no try, only do."

Wes spent this past weekend with a friend north of Edmonton. They were supposed to do a three day trail ride so Wes went a day early to learn how to ride a horse. We'd been on a couple of rides before - hour long rides - but really he'd never ridden independently.

The weather ended up preventing the three day ride so instead they took the horses to the Gymkhana in Josephburg. Wes and his friend competed in the Intermediate 15-17 yr old division, in events that included barrel racing, pole bending, flag race and something called a keyhole race.

Did I mention he learnt to ride three days before that?

He came home with 3 ribbons - placing second in two events and third in another. He's quite pleased with himself and I think he might be hooked on the whole equine sport thing. Just goes to show you never know what you can do until you actually try!

I Was Here

2010-08-24T17:25:00.001-06:00

I remember once when I used to take the bus I was coming home from work on a particularly full bus - people were crammed so close together but everyone was ignoring everyone else. I remember looking at my patch of window, staring out at the traffic (also crammed together) and feeling strangely ... alone. I wanted to reach out and write in the condensation on the window I WAS HERE.

When I was a kid, to be a smartass, I liked to write "Kilroy was here" on various surfaces. But years later I realize the commonalities. I do want to leave my mark on the world... and some might suggest that I have, or that I will, but really in 1000 years (or more) what will I mean to anyone?

Kilroy (and Allie) was here.

Brave Battalion

2010-08-15T18:44:00.005-06:00

Spent the afternoon at the Canadian War Museum today. I found it profoundly moving. I didn't have time to find all of the medal sets there from my unit (16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish) and since Piper Richardson's, Pte Milne's and LCol Peck's VC are there I might go back tomorrow.

EDIT: I did go back to the museum but was disappointed to discover that the medal sets, while part of the collection, were not on display. They were actually locked in the vault which apparently needs two people with two different keys to open (similar to a nuclear launch). This intrigued me to learn but the day I went back the other person had called in sick so there was no way for me to view these medals. I will have to make an appointment to come back next time I am in Ottawa.

There are snails in my belly

2010-08-14T15:15:00.005-06:00

I pursuit of my goal of eating five new foods this summer I have thus far tried camel, boar and today, escargot. I need some suggestions on what to try next as I am running out of summer. It should be foods that I could actually eat in Canada and I'd prefer no one suggest bugs. The snails were hard enough for me to wrap my head around, even covered in cheese!

Assuming that I have eaten all the regular western diet foods (Canadian and British), I've compiled a list of meats I've had already: Elk, Bison, Venison, Caribou, Moose, Emu, Ostrich, Llama, Alligator, Shark, Lamb, Mutton, Rabbit, Squid, Octopus, Goat, Duck and Pheasant. There was also a cat "incident," but I don't usually talk about that.

I usually am quite interested in trying anything new at least once, so don't be afraid to suggest more than two things.

Ottawa!

2010-08-13T08:27:00.002-06:00

We have arrived in Ottawa and had a great day yesterday visiting the Parliament Buildings and then a wonderful evening out with friends at a place called Sweetgrass in the Market area. I had the best buffalo there that I have ever had in my life! Very good.

I am taking pictures with both the camera and my iPhone (with the Hipstamatic App which is responsible for the affect you see above). I have started loading the iPhone pics to my flickr page. You can check them out here.

Might be Time for a Diet...

2010-08-13T00:07:00.001-06:00

Duncan said today "My cat might need to go on a diet. She just asked me to bring her Solo and the Wookie..."

Tonight's the Night!

2010-08-12T14:43:00.002-06:00

Earth has entered the debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, meaning the annual Perseid meteor shower - the best shower of the year - is upon us. August 12th (tonight) is the peak night of the shower where observers (best to be outside of the city if possible) could witness between 60 - 100 Perseids per hour. Friday and Saturday should offer good opportunities for viewing as well.

Also in the sky tonight (at sundown) will be Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon in a tight conjunction in the western sky - AND if you stay up late into Friday morning there are two International Space Station passes over Edmonton to watch. The first flyby happens at 3:54am (look SSE) and the second at 5:26am (look WSW). The ISS is quite bright and will take about 2 minutes to cross the sky.

Tonight has a lot of promise if the skies stay clear. I suggest getting out of the city - Elk Island would be perfect but there is no need to go so far.

Other things to do - Listen to the meteors on radar, check out pictures from people more talented than I and watch NASA's Fireball Cam.

Enjoy!

Biking in Edmonton?

2010-08-12T00:09:00.003-06:00

Recently I've witnessed several close calls with bikes in traffic, mostly related to bikes not going fast enough and people trying to get around them in their vehicles. It frustrates me and scares me.

I have a beautiful bike that I love, but it has sat in my basement for almost the entire time I've been in Edmonton because the drivers here scare me (as a driver myself sometimes the cyclist's scare me too). The roads are not bike friendly, yet it is against the law to ride on the sidewalks. To me it almost seems like a battle between rider and driver.

Today on twitter I saw Michael Janz pass along a link for the Canadian Cycling Association CanBike 2 Course being held in Edmonton in September. CanBike 2 is an 18 hour, on-road cycling course that covers both theory of on-road cycling and practical riding techniques. Worth the time for anyone who commutes to work by bike. Click on the link for more info or to register. And stay safe out there.

Send Just Five More Hugs!

2010-08-11T14:17:00.003-06:00

As the Edmonton Food Bank nears it's goal of 7500 virtual hugs (that Kraft will turn into 7500 jars of Peanut Butter) I just wanted to ask everyone to please take a minute to send 5, 10, or 15 hugs to aid this process along. Anyone can send hugs, residency doesn't matter.

Send a Bear Hug Now!

To track the progress as the hugs add up, click this link HERE. The Edmonton Food Bank has until this Friday to meet it's goal.

And thank you.

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

2010-08-10T09:52:00.004-06:00

Today's Livestrong newsletter broaches the topic of Vitamin D, something that I have been interested in ever since the Cancer Society of Canada suggested that large doses of Vitamin D can help prevent or fight cancer. Other health experts have suggested that Vitamin D deficiencies (hypovitaminosis D) of Canadians could be attributing to our higher instances of auto-immune disorders, like MS.

Vitamin D (commonly referred to as the "sunshine vitamin") plays an important role in both our physical and mental health. The vitamin is made by our bodies when our skin is exposed to direct ultraviolet rays from the sun for at least 20 mins at a time. The problem with living in Canada is that we don't get a lot of sunshine and we often don't go out in the sun unprotected (sunscreen hampers this process).

I can't recommend to you how much Vitamin D you should supplement your diet with as I am not an expert, but I can suggest to you to go off and research it yourself to determine what would benefit your lifestyle. Personally, in the winter I will take up to 1000 IU a day and in the summer I often drop it down to 400 IU a day and will sometimes even skip it (because I am a sun worshiper and often forget my sunscreen).

Vitamin D is one of only four vitamins that are stored by the body and as such we have been long taught not to take too much of it. This way of thinking is changing with new research and from what I've come to understand it would actually be difficult to ingest enough Vitamin D to produce toxicity (In healthy adults a sustained intake of 50,000 IU per day can produce toxicity after several months). Currently most information I've found suggests the "Tolerable Upper Limit" of Vitamin D is around 2000 IU per day.

Vitamin D is easy to obtain and take in pill form - I would suggest asking your pharmacist to recommend a trusted brand to you if decide to add a supplement to your diet.

Help Spread the Feeling

2010-08-09T20:06:00.002-06:00

This week in Edmonton KRAFT Peanut Butter is gearing up to stock the shelves of the Edmonton Food Bank and you can help!

For every virtual Bear Hug you send (via email), KRAFT will donate a 500g jar of Peanut Butter to Edmonton's Food Bank. You don't have to do anything else. You don't even have to live in Edmonton!

Send a Bear Hug Now!

Edmontonians have already started sending their virtual hugs and have until Friday August 13th to send more! At the time of writing this the total was at 2649 jars!

Edmonton’s goal is 7,500 hugs (that's a lot of peanut butter). You can keep an eye on the progress HERE.

For those that prefer a more hands on approach, the Kraft bears Smoothie and Crunchie will be giving out bear hugs at West Edmonton Mall this Saturday (August 14) near the Ice Palace from 11am to 4pm. Just like the emails, for each hug Kraft will donate a jar of peanut butter to Edmonton’s Food Bank.

Let's go to the Market!

2010-08-07T22:19:00.004-06:00

This past summer Duncan and I have developed a weekend ritual of hanging out at a Farmer's Market. We walk around the market checking out all the wares and making selections that allow us to support the local economy. Eventually we return home with an armload of locally grown fruits and veggies and sometimes some buffalo or specialty sausage to BBQ. Every trip brings something different.

Normally we go to the City Centre Market but today Duncan suggested we go to the St. Albert Farmer's Market, which happens to be the largest outdoor market in western Canada. With 250 vendor's to choose from you really could find everything here that you might need (except a cool basket to carry it all in). Today we bought some Rosemary Garlic Chicken sausages from Sunworks Farm, an SPCA certified family farm that raises their animals ethically, organically and free range. They were very good!

If you haven't yet been to this market (Saturdays 10am-3pm) I highly recommend it. We will definitely be back.