The following headlines don’t require an introduction … they are stupidity at its best!
Looking for more good laughs? Ellen DeGeneres regularly posts images of silly signs and billboards. You can view some of them at: http://photos.ellen.warnerbros.com/galleries/funny_signs_from_around_the_world
If you’ve got more to share, I’d love to see them! Hope I’ve brought a smile to your face today.
Mathematics always came easily to me. In fact, I was the kid other high school students envied because I was pulling off high 90’s in all grade 13 math courses. But somewhere along the way, I lost that ability. What happened? Is it the old case of “use it or lose it” or was it one of the many after effects of the concussion I suffered from my skiing accident?
It’s actually been bugging me lately although I’m not about to undergo brain scans and tests to receive an actual diagnosis. But it is certainly an indication that the message about helmet safety, concussions and brain injuries will never be out of date. Parents routinely tell me stories about what happened to them, their kids and friends during various sporting accidents or routine falls on the ice. It reminds all of us that we vulnerable – it can happen to anyone!
Do you know someone who has suffered a concussion or head injury? If yes, how did it happen?
For those of you that haven’t heard, my eldest son is currently on a university 3rd year exchange program in Australia. It’s more play than work but he deserves it. He’s a great kid and an excellent student. But I wanted to share with you the conversation I had with him last week on a Skype call:
Josh: Hi Mom!
Me: How are you doing? It’s great hearing your voice!
Josh: Everything is great but I just got some disappointing news.
Me: What’s up?
Josh: My skydiving trip got cancelled today due to poor weather conditions.
Me: (silence)
After my initial shock and a few expletives as well as a silent “thank you” to Mother Nature (for being on my side), I calmed down. After all, he’s turning 21 years old next month and as an adult, he’ll have to make his own decisions. It’s just that skydiving and bungee jumping are on my most dangerous list of sports.
I was totally okay when I heard he tried surfing, white water rafting, zip lining and suspension bridge climbing. After all, he was wearing a safety helmet and proper harnesses (except while surfing and the only thing he was wearing was his swimsuit).
Meanwhile he’s having the time of his life. He’s visiting all of the places on my “bucket list” including Fiji, Bali, New Zealand, as well as scuba diving on the Great Barrier 
Reef. Ahhhh … to be young again with absolutely NO responsibilities.
How about you? Would you try skydiving? What are the activities you’d be terrified if your kids tried? What activities are on your “bucket” list?
Parents frequently ask when it’s okay to put a baby in a bike carrier on the back of a bike so I thought I’d try to clarify some of the confusion.
The MOST important consideration is head control! If your baby’s head is going to flop from side to side when you turn a corner on your bike, it’s clearly too early to put them in a carrier or a chariot (pulled behind your bike). The earliest recommended age by pediatricians is 9 months although some doctors say it shouldn’t be earlier than one year of age.
Babies MUST wear a safety helmet when riding in a bike carrier and/or chariot! This photo of Pink and her husband taking their baby for a bike ride sends the wrong message! For the record, I contacted the magazine and complained they are sending a bad message to parents when they publish photos of kids or adults not wearing proper safety gear.
There are several different models of bike carriers on the market. I would definitely recommend the ones that sit on the back of your bike over the ones fitted on the front. The reason is front carriers are more difficult to handle. It’s easier to turn the bike when the centre of gravity is in the middle of the bike.
Biking is a great family activity and it’s the perfect time of year to enjoy the outdoors again. But please do it responsibly by wearing the proper safety gear and it goes without saying that parents should role model the need for safety helmets by wearing them too!
Do you bike ride as a family? How old are your kids?
Want to lose weight, save money, help the environment and feel good all at once? It’s easy! All you need to do is bike to work or school or take your bike instead of a car around town for local errands.
There’s a neat little tool on the web that helps calculate the number of calories you burn when exercising. Simply provide your weight and estimated length of time you’ll be biking and it will tell you how many calories on average you’ll burn. It calculated I’d burn 127 calories (the number of calories in a glass of wine) by biking for half an hour at the slow pace of less than 10 mph. Here’s the link to the handy calorie calculator:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/Calories-Burned-Biking.htm
Last time I filled my tank of gas, it cost me $90.00. I’m not suggesting it’s possible to bike everywhere instead of drive but it amazing how much gas you go through on short trips to the grocery store, dry cleaners, post office and bank. The other advantage of biking over driving is the money you’ll save on parking meters and parking lots.
There are some people who bike all year round. Personally, I’m a fair weather cyclist because I’m nervous about riding my bike through snow. But imagine if everyone who worked or went to school close to home decided to ride their bike during the warmer months rather than drive. There would be a HUGE decrease in the number of cars on the roads, thereby, significantly improving the air quality and reducing everyone’s commute time.
Finally, riding a bike feels good! It’s a great way to connect with your local community and meet neighbours. Most people spend the winter huddled inside so it’s important to get outdoors as much as possible during the warmer months.
Have you pulled your bike out of storage yet? Please remember to take it to your local bike shop for a quick tire and brake check-up. Your bike needs a little bit of loving care too. And please remember to wear a bike helmet every time you ride your bike! Your brain will appreciate it!
It all started with the giant plant (actually a 10’ tall cactus) that suddenly toppled over. When it happened, it scared the living daylight out of the dogs and I but fortunately no one was hurt. The top half of the cactus broke off as it hit the sliding doors. My husband and I pondered whether or not to try and save the plant but, in the end, decided it was becoming more of a nuisance than it was worth because the dogs kept pricking themselves on the cactus spikes every time they dashed out the back doors trying to catch a squirrel. So we chopped up the remaining plant and heaved it in a garden waste bin.
Suddenly the corner of the room was empty … but I liked having the open space. Over time our house has been gradually making me feel claustrophobic. Like most people, we’ve collected things: the boys’ “toys” got bigger (i.e. golf clubs, scuba equipment and skis rather than Hot Wheels and Lego), and my business took over more and more of the house. Of course, it doesn’t help that we have 2 large dogs that both shed a lot as well as my husband’s business in basement.
So what began with the death of one plant, led to a giant spring-cleaning effort on my behalf. I started looking at all of the objects (a.k.a. dust collectors) and questioning whether or not we really needed them. And guess what? We didn’t. So the stuff ended up by the front curb with a giant sign saying, “FREE: please help yourself”.
What a great feeling when I finally finished. I felt as if I could breathe again in my own home. There’s certainly something refreshing about getting rid of the clutter. This experience has reminded me “less is more”. How about you? Will you be spring-cleaning this year? Do your cupboards feel as if things are going to fall down on top of your head every time you open a cupboard? Any suggestions for great ways to re-use or recycle the excess you’ve collected over time?
It’s mid March and I’m sitting on my back patio drinking a glass of wine. I’m wearing a tank top and shorts and I’m still hot. My dogs are sitting with me … the German Shepherd is busy trying to protect me from planes flying overhead (she barks furiously every time they fly by until she successfully scares them away). Meanwhile my Golden Retriever is eating all of the black ants that wonder by.
I remember as clear as if it was yesterday, sitting in my kitchen last year in mid-May and feeling sorry for myself because it was cold and dreary outside. This year couldn’t be more of a contrast. The leaves of our old Elm tree are already budding and my garden is full of early Spring shoots.
The local bike shop has been busy for the past week with people buying new bikes or tuning up their old bikes. The streets are packed with people walking, jogging, and pushing strollers. There’s a line-up of customers at the ice-cream parlour. Everyone has a smile on their face and a cheery ‘hello’. I’m assuming everyone else is finding it as difficult to work on this beautiful day as I am. Even the social media sites are slower than usual because who wants to work when it’s this gorgeous outside.
It’s times like these that I remind myself how incredibly lucky I am. Life is Good!
Annika Vrklan never skateboards without proper safety equipment!
Spring is definitely in the air. Depending on your sport, you’re either thrilled winter is over or disappointed the ski season was so short this year. Either way, it’s time to tune-up your bike, drag your roller blades or skateboards out of storage and make sure your hiking boots still fit. Soon the skateboard parks will be filling up again with lots of young people testing their limits and trying new tricks. It’s a pleasure to see so many teenagers enjoying their sport but it’s also a sight that makes me cringe because very few of the skateboarders are wearing safety helmets or any safety gear for that matter! Yet they’re trying routines that are difficult and risky!!! Just ask any health care professional who works in an Emergency ward and they’ll tell you when ski season ends, the number of trauma victims doesn’t slow down because the number of skateboarders with broken bones and, even worse, head injuries increases.
Teenagers think they are invincible. The attitude “it won’t happen to me” creates a wall whenever teens hear the “Play It Safe and Bucket Your Brain” message. So Tail Wags Helmet Covers decided to try another method of making the message loud and clear. Hope you like the following video produced by a group of enterprising Queen’s University undergraduate students:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaQiU1U816o&list=UUvK5Ri4wq0j4mFxDSnGK0tA&index=4&feature=plcp
Leave it to a group of young men to know any inference to sex will catch the attention of teenagers.
I’d love to hear your suggestions for getting the message across to teenagers that helmet safety is critical. Who knows … your idea could be the basis of the next Tail Wags Helmet Covers safety campaign!
What is one of the first signs of Spring? Tulips? Green grass? Nope! It’s the ridiculous amount of dog poop all over our parks, sidewalks etc. I’m a dog owner but I’m disgusted too. I don’t like stepping in dog poop any more than you do! I’m also embarrassed because even though I ALWAYS pick up my dogs’ poop, I know the majority of people are collectively blaming all dog owners for the crap out there. And how about the endless bags of dog poop people carelessly drop beside the sidewalks because they’re too lazy to carry them to the nearest garbage pail…
Every day during the late fall, winter & early spring, I walk my dogs on the local public golf course. It’s a privilege to have the wide-open spaces especially in a large city like Toronto. But even the golf course staff are complaining because of the amount of dog poop and trash people are leaving behind. This worries me because our right to walk the golf course during the off-season could be revoked. In other words, all dog owners will be punished because of the irresponsible actions of a few.
My philosophy is every day is “Earth Day” not just once a year. It’s not good enough to recycle, reduce and re-use. We all need to stop using the earth as our personal garbage can. Do you have any suggestions to help remind people that keeping our neighbourhoods clean are our collective responsibility?
Holiday in your own backyard!
Are you and your family staying at home this March Break? I don’t know about you but I used to feel sorry for myself when my kids were younger and we seemed like one of the only families who weren’t flying off to somewhere sunny and warm. So I thought I’d try to write a blog post to cheer you up. Here are the advantages of staying home this holiday:
What are your plans this week? Hope you have a WONDERFUL March Break! The kids will be back to school before you know it.
Twitter: karynclimans