So, I took myself off to Tim Horton's coffee shop to do some work last week. It was hot outside, and I figured it would be cool and comfortable inside. Boy, was I in for a shock.
Yes, it was cool - in fact, very cool, bordering on freezing. I stuck it out for a while, but after half an hour, couldn't take it any more.
I don't have problems with the cold - heck, I live in Winnipeg, the "Brrrr!" capital of Canada. Nature's cold is something I love. But the artificial kind? That's a whole other matter.
According to Wikipedia, air conditioning is the removal of heat from indoor air for thermal comfort. Not ALL the heat, just enough for thermal comfort. However, many stores, especially the smaller kind with doors opening on a regular basis - coffee shops, restaurants, etc. - seem to think that if they remove all the heat, that will compensate for the many times people come and go. Unfortunately, the result is that it's often too cold for most people who stay.
I've thought about carrying my own personal thermometer when I go out for coffee or something to eat so I can tell management when it's too cold. But you'd think they'd be able to figure it out for themselves when they see people still wearing their outside coats and/or putting on extra layers.
A few questions ...
Is there a standard for inside/outside temperature ratios?
Is it cheaper to cool than to heat?
Are the low temps meant to hurry us out?
Is there any way those places can carry blankets?
Trust me - I've asked about that last one on many an occasion.
Okay, so clearly I don't get the whole air conditioning thing. Didn't have it growing up, don't like it in the house, rarely turn it on in the car - even the low setting ain't quite low enough. And while I've tried to get used to it, there's something about the natural versus artificial thing that makes it all but impossible.
Last week, it was so cold inside that I up and took myself to the closest clothing place to buy a light layer of some kind. It was hot outside and end of season, so wasn't expecting too much in the way of choice, let alone sizes that would fit. I ended up getting a men's hoodie - cheaper than the comparatively unattractive women's hoodie, but that's another story - and returned to the scene of the chill for a more comfortable hour or so.
When I got back to Tim's and put on my new hoodie, one of the servers asked if I was cold. I said I was, and she said, "Just as well you have that hoodie". And then, as two ladies were leaving - they were there for both my first and second visit that day - one said to me, "You were smart. We grinned and beared it, but next time we'll bring an extra layer as well."
Maybe that's my role in all this - to inspire the world, one person at a time, to carry an extra layer with them everywhere they go, just in case their thermal comfort is not met when they get there. Either that, or I'll find the thermostat myself and make all the necessary adjustments.
Cool, huh?! At least it's not "Brrrr!"
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Retire?
When I read last week that Sylvia Kuzyk, long-time veteran news anchor and weather specialist at Winnipeg CTV, was retiring, I was both ecstatic for her and ponderous for me.
Ecstatic because I know Sylvia - mostly through community events and activities, and I think she's inspiring and fun to chat with. She's also great at what she does and, I dare say, she truly loves what she does. A win win for everyone.
Ponderous because of something she said: "I hate the word retire. It's more about just doing the things I've put in the background for such a long time." Hmmm ....
Reminded me of something my nephew, Matthew, once said when I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. "Retire," came the proud and confident response. "Retire?" "Sure. Everyone seems so much happier when they retire 'cause they get to do things they can't do when they are working."
Very insightful for a young boy.
Many people love their jobs, and are happy to stay in them forever - or at least until they retire. They make their way up the proverbial ladder, pursue the same general direction although in other places, or do a complete 360 and try something completely different - and not just once.
But not everyone loves their job. And not everyone can leave a bad job, an uninspiring job, or a job that fails to reflect their talents and aspirations. Responsibilities, expectations and assumptions have a lot to do with that.
Furthermore, not everyone has the schooling or the finances or the support to pursue their passion - and we all know that passion doesn't always pay, hence the divide for many between what they love to do and what they have to do.
Good job or bad, some people can't wait for retirement. A chance to do those things they've put in the background for such a long time.
In an ideal world, we'd all have jobs we love, we'd all have time for our passions, and we'd all be able to blend the joys and possibilities of retirement with the responsibilities and realities of our working lives.
Either that, or we could simply go straight to retirement and get started on those projects, those passions, in that new direction.
I've been playing in that world for a while, but not making much headway because of those pesky responsibilities, expectations and assumptions. But after reading of Sylvia's bold move, working in tandem with my friend Shelagh (who is intent on finishing her own big project), and talking with my Aussie mate Liz, who, while looking for her own 360, said, "You just have to get those speeches done and make it happen!", I'm inspired to fully embrace an early 'retirement' from my current work (editing) and begin in earnest and with passion on my desire to speak and write full time, with some music thrown in for good measure.
Inspired, yes, but also ecstatic and ponderous.
Ecstatic because I've decided not to wait until I retire to retire. Ponderous because I need to clear the proverbial decks and finish up what I currently have on my slate before I can "make it happen".
Can I do it? I've tried before. Hard to cut those ties, turn off those distractions. But I truly believe that this is what I'm meant to do and that it's time for less action and more talk ... if you get what I mean. Absolutely, I will find a way to make it happen.
And this time, PLEASE hold me to it!
So, let me just say, "Congratulations, Sylvia. Thanks to you, Shelagh and Liz for the inspiration. And good luck to us all!"
Ecstatic because I know Sylvia - mostly through community events and activities, and I think she's inspiring and fun to chat with. She's also great at what she does and, I dare say, she truly loves what she does. A win win for everyone.
Ponderous because of something she said: "I hate the word retire. It's more about just doing the things I've put in the background for such a long time." Hmmm ....
Reminded me of something my nephew, Matthew, once said when I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. "Retire," came the proud and confident response. "Retire?" "Sure. Everyone seems so much happier when they retire 'cause they get to do things they can't do when they are working."
Very insightful for a young boy.
Many people love their jobs, and are happy to stay in them forever - or at least until they retire. They make their way up the proverbial ladder, pursue the same general direction although in other places, or do a complete 360 and try something completely different - and not just once.
But not everyone loves their job. And not everyone can leave a bad job, an uninspiring job, or a job that fails to reflect their talents and aspirations. Responsibilities, expectations and assumptions have a lot to do with that.
Furthermore, not everyone has the schooling or the finances or the support to pursue their passion - and we all know that passion doesn't always pay, hence the divide for many between what they love to do and what they have to do.
Good job or bad, some people can't wait for retirement. A chance to do those things they've put in the background for such a long time.
In an ideal world, we'd all have jobs we love, we'd all have time for our passions, and we'd all be able to blend the joys and possibilities of retirement with the responsibilities and realities of our working lives.
Either that, or we could simply go straight to retirement and get started on those projects, those passions, in that new direction.
I've been playing in that world for a while, but not making much headway because of those pesky responsibilities, expectations and assumptions. But after reading of Sylvia's bold move, working in tandem with my friend Shelagh (who is intent on finishing her own big project), and talking with my Aussie mate Liz, who, while looking for her own 360, said, "You just have to get those speeches done and make it happen!", I'm inspired to fully embrace an early 'retirement' from my current work (editing) and begin in earnest and with passion on my desire to speak and write full time, with some music thrown in for good measure.
Inspired, yes, but also ecstatic and ponderous.
Ecstatic because I've decided not to wait until I retire to retire. Ponderous because I need to clear the proverbial decks and finish up what I currently have on my slate before I can "make it happen".
Can I do it? I've tried before. Hard to cut those ties, turn off those distractions. But I truly believe that this is what I'm meant to do and that it's time for less action and more talk ... if you get what I mean. Absolutely, I will find a way to make it happen.
And this time, PLEASE hold me to it!
So, let me just say, "Congratulations, Sylvia. Thanks to you, Shelagh and Liz for the inspiration. And good luck to us all!"
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Reset
Ever have one of those days where you seem to follow one mishap with another?
Today was my day.
Got out of bed and stubbed my big toe - bugger! - on the door frame as I stumbled my way to breakfast. Spilled a glass of orange juice all over the table - and had to wash the tablecloth and placemats. Dropped a piece of toast on the floor. Burnt my lip on some too hot tea. Printed a 10-page document 20 times instead of a single page of that document 20 times. Shredded the wrong draft of a letter - twice! Misspoke in an email and confused a potential client - or at least she was 'potential' until she got the email. And made five attempts to type a four-letter word correctly - no, not one of those four-letter words (although I was thinking of some as I erred).
And all before 1:12 pm.
Days like that can be frustrating, to say the least. But occasionally they are a blessing. Reminders that things are perhaps a little out of control. That it's time to take a break. So, at 1:12 pm, I did exactly that - went for a walk and took in some Vitamin D, breathed and stretched, played the guitar for a bit, and finally got back down to work.
Kind of like a reset button.
And it worked wonders. No more hazardry behaviour, no more mishaps, no more swear-word-inducing moments. Only a sigh of relief that ferried the afternoon to conclusion.
Ah, much better. So much so, that I'm going to hit the reset button again tomorrow - BEFORE the mishaps get the better of me!
Today was my day.
Got out of bed and stubbed my big toe - bugger! - on the door frame as I stumbled my way to breakfast. Spilled a glass of orange juice all over the table - and had to wash the tablecloth and placemats. Dropped a piece of toast on the floor. Burnt my lip on some too hot tea. Printed a 10-page document 20 times instead of a single page of that document 20 times. Shredded the wrong draft of a letter - twice! Misspoke in an email and confused a potential client - or at least she was 'potential' until she got the email. And made five attempts to type a four-letter word correctly - no, not one of those four-letter words (although I was thinking of some as I erred).
And all before 1:12 pm.
Days like that can be frustrating, to say the least. But occasionally they are a blessing. Reminders that things are perhaps a little out of control. That it's time to take a break. So, at 1:12 pm, I did exactly that - went for a walk and took in some Vitamin D, breathed and stretched, played the guitar for a bit, and finally got back down to work.
Kind of like a reset button.
And it worked wonders. No more hazardry behaviour, no more mishaps, no more swear-word-inducing moments. Only a sigh of relief that ferried the afternoon to conclusion.
Ah, much better. So much so, that I'm going to hit the reset button again tomorrow - BEFORE the mishaps get the better of me!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
"Bugger!"
That's about as far as I'm prepared to go when it comes to swearing in public. None of those other words that offend and annoy - and could cost a lot of money.
Yes, it seems that the key to stopping all those damn curse words is to slap on a fine and publicly admonish the offenders.
In Australia, new laws are in the works that will slap on-the-spot fines of up to $240 on anyone using offensive words or phrases and obnoxious swearing.
According to one of Victoria’s top lawyers, "[this law is] targeted at the sort of obnoxious, offensive behaviour in public that makes life unpleasant for everybody else."
Bugger!
And earlier this week, Avril Lavigne was called out for unleashing some foul language following a baseball game between the home team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the visiting Cleveland Indians. The crowd wasn't happy - their team lost AND Lavigne's post-game performance was delayed by technical glitches. Apparently, she responded to their booing with "salty language" as part of her profanity-laced explanation for the delay.
According to the Tampa Bay spokesman, "The Rays demand profanity-free performances from all of our concert performers and we are extremely disappointed by the language used in last night's show."
Bugger!
Okay, I admit that I've slipped up from time to time, but it's usually when I'm really angry or upset about something. Or when I stub my big toe. Those mostly four-, sometimes five-or-more-letter words rarely make their way into my everyday public communication, although I do occasionally swear at other drivers on the road - always with the windows up so as to avoid any follow-up confrontation from possible misinterpretation of my word selection.
Personally, I don't get why some people swear as much as they do. I'm sure some of them think they need to swear, that there are no other words they can use and no other ways to express themselves. And I believe that a few make the conscious decision to use every swear word they know so they can be as annoying and obnoxious as possible. And still others are so adept at swearing that they don't even realize when they are doing it.
To all those people, I suggest purchasing a thesaurus - there you will find lots of other words you can use that will save you money and avoid the risk of public admonishment.
Despite our best efforts to curtail the obnoxious, offensive behaviour, it's not likely we'll be successful ... unless the perpetrators make a conscious and active decision to cease and desist. Creative thinking is all that's needed here, but sadly that seems to be in much shorter supply than the number of words available to annoy and offend.
Ultimately, if we want to curtail the foul language, all we can really do is lead by example - don't swear in public, ever - and chose more acceptable alternatives - I like struth, crikey, and, yes, bugger!
If that doesn't work, we can always ignore that which doth hurt offend us and tell ourselves that those words don't mean anything anyway. They are simply the tools of expression for a few angry, frustrated, uncreative people - who don't have a thesaurus and/or drive with their windows up.
And if none of the above have any impact whatsoever, well, there's always fines and public admonishment.
Bugger!
Yes, it seems that the key to stopping all those damn curse words is to slap on a fine and publicly admonish the offenders.
In Australia, new laws are in the works that will slap on-the-spot fines of up to $240 on anyone using offensive words or phrases and obnoxious swearing.
According to one of Victoria’s top lawyers, "[this law is] targeted at the sort of obnoxious, offensive behaviour in public that makes life unpleasant for everybody else."
Bugger!
And earlier this week, Avril Lavigne was called out for unleashing some foul language following a baseball game between the home team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the visiting Cleveland Indians. The crowd wasn't happy - their team lost AND Lavigne's post-game performance was delayed by technical glitches. Apparently, she responded to their booing with "salty language" as part of her profanity-laced explanation for the delay.
According to the Tampa Bay spokesman, "The Rays demand profanity-free performances from all of our concert performers and we are extremely disappointed by the language used in last night's show."
Bugger!
Okay, I admit that I've slipped up from time to time, but it's usually when I'm really angry or upset about something. Or when I stub my big toe. Those mostly four-, sometimes five-or-more-letter words rarely make their way into my everyday public communication, although I do occasionally swear at other drivers on the road - always with the windows up so as to avoid any follow-up confrontation from possible misinterpretation of my word selection.
Personally, I don't get why some people swear as much as they do. I'm sure some of them think they need to swear, that there are no other words they can use and no other ways to express themselves. And I believe that a few make the conscious decision to use every swear word they know so they can be as annoying and obnoxious as possible. And still others are so adept at swearing that they don't even realize when they are doing it.
To all those people, I suggest purchasing a thesaurus - there you will find lots of other words you can use that will save you money and avoid the risk of public admonishment.
Despite our best efforts to curtail the obnoxious, offensive behaviour, it's not likely we'll be successful ... unless the perpetrators make a conscious and active decision to cease and desist. Creative thinking is all that's needed here, but sadly that seems to be in much shorter supply than the number of words available to annoy and offend.
Ultimately, if we want to curtail the foul language, all we can really do is lead by example - don't swear in public, ever - and chose more acceptable alternatives - I like struth, crikey, and, yes, bugger!
If that doesn't work, we can always ignore that which doth hurt offend us and tell ourselves that those words don't mean anything anyway. They are simply the tools of expression for a few angry, frustrated, uncreative people - who don't have a thesaurus and/or drive with their windows up.
And if none of the above have any impact whatsoever, well, there's always fines and public admonishment.
Bugger!