My 2009

Relaxing, waiting for the New Year. Not much choice as I am partly deaf due to a sinus infection.

This is the time of year when the media review the past year and make predictions for the new. In addition, we get a decade review and projections of what will happen in the next ten years.

My 2009:
Started off terrible. I was in the middle of a battle with my employer to resolve my "duty to accommodate" request, which came close to becoming a grievance. I lost six months of pay due to extreme fatigue, caused by the aggravation of my MS. I wasn't sure if I could go on. I wanted to quit working only to have it over and done. My employer refused to acknowledge my MS. They picked on one tiny part of a Health Canada report to insist that I MUST seek psychiatric treatment before they would even consider accommodating me. I'm telling you, there were times I felt like I was in the 1950's Soviet Union. Nothing is more evil than the person who smiles at you and then proceeds to try and destroy you.

Please, Please, if you are not trained in medicine or psychology don't try and impose your half baked ideas about therapy and drugs on someone. And if you no nothing about an illness; either educate yourself or shut up!!

Fortunately, providence rescued me in the form of a court case that ruled in favour of another woman who was going through similar hell. The attitude of my employer at the time was to impose accommodation rather than accommodate. There is a big difference. I don't know why they had that attitude and I don't care. I'm just glad that a judge had enough brains to review policy and give them all a legal slap!

Even after I received my accomodation it was a tug of war. This one person just couldn't stand being bested, even though allowing me to work at home was the right thing to do.

Then in the summer something strange (but good) happened. I made peace with a relative. End result of that is I came into some unexpected money, which I used to fix up my dilapidated house.

What I want to say is things can get better. You must hang in there. We all of us go through trying times and things can look bleak but we must not lose hope.

When things are better, remember the bad times but don't dwell on them. Use them as a lesson and savour the good. Oh ain't I the little philosopher!

I want to say Thank You to the following :

My Son. Kid, without you I don't know how I would have made it. You're awesome.

My Dad. Thanks for accepting my wanting to make peace. Oh and thanks for the money too. My house feels more like a home now.

Mom Thanks for the cross and your blessings. Keep praying. I think it works.

Frank. You kept telling me things would get better and they did. Your positive attitude was and is a tonic. You're one interesting guy.

Cathy, The Debbies, Joanne and Marta. You helped me out and prevented my cracking up. Thanks girls.

Postcards. Yeah my hobby was a good distraction from all my misery. Love ya, postcard pals.

The beautiful nature trails of Hamilton. Those walks restore my soul.

The birds in my backyard. Even though I spend too much time daydreaming when I watch you from my office window. Yeah even you crazy woodpecker!!

Dr. Paulseth. For being such a calm, cool, collected, doctor. You assured me I wasn't nuts when others were trying so hard to make me feel that I was.

Oh and thanks to all the bloggers out there who helped me unravel the crazy mystery of MS. Your advice,your stories, are an inspiration.

Here's looking to a truly Happy 2010 for all of us.

Out With The Old...In With The New

Continue to stay POSITIVE in 2010

Not Even 1% Fun

The old expression about traveling "getting there is half the fun". If ever there was anything so far removed from the truth, it is that statement.

I decided to go away for Christmas. I never said before, but my son has been away doing volunteer work for the past three months. There is also lots of feuding in my family. Had a lovely time visiting friends in the South West of the U.S. Had a delicious traditional Mexican Christmas meal.

The day after I arrived the failed bomb plot occurred. Yeah you know the one. The guy paid cash for a one way ticket to the U.S., his only luggage being explosives stuffed in his crotch. His father had warned authorities about his radical beliefs, he was on a watch list etc. etc. A dozen red flags.

My nice trip marred by 24/7 reporting of new airport security. There I was, already so tired from my trip down; that I couldn't even imagine what further annoyances could be put in place to make air travel even more irritating.

Every trip the flying experience gets worse. There is no communication between the various entities that are needed to get me and my fellow passengers off the ground. Every airport has their own rules, which seem to change with every flight.

All the billions spent on warfare, on intelligence, on security, yet still these evil fanatics can figure out ways to terrorize us. The only reason we got lucky this time is due to the fact that this nut was inept. Yeah lucky us.

So there I was getting ready to come back home. Glad that I only had a suitcase and my purse to take with me, albeit a very large purse. The media had said that no carry on bags would be permitted. Then the story changed to only one piece of carry on luggage. You would not be allowed to have anything in your lap, you would not be allowed to get up from your seat one hour before landing(great news for the incontinent) No liquids of any kind would be permitted. There would be thorough body searches.

I packed my bag, thought twice about having a small bottle of hand sanitizer and my lip gloss on me. Decided to go ahead and include them as these items are not sold in any airports. You can buy booze, cigarettes, perfume, fancy bags, and overpriced souvenirs, yet the only lip balm I have ever seen in an airport is the cheap, waxy, medicinal brand. Oh yeah you can also buy $4.00 bottles of water because you can't bring your own eco friendly water bottle with you.

Forget about me hiding this stuff in my panties. For some reason I am always the one who gets the pat down and the wand treatment when I go through security. I also get the third degree from immigration: Why am I visiting the U.S.? Who am I visiting? Where do I know these people from? What is their address? How long am I staying? (Hey you yelled at me to see my itinerary, check it out) Yeah, they shake down old ladies and let the bad guys sail through. And why don't the airports have any hand sanitizer? Everywhere you go now malls, offices, there are huge courtesy bottles of it, yet not at the airports.

Things went very smoothly at the El Paso airport. They had the same vigorous security in place, only this time I went through with no body search. Carry on bags? People had the usual ton of stuff. They did pull random people from the line to search them prior to boarding. That was the only difference I saw. Procedures on the airplane were the same as always. There were no restrictions on moving about the cabin at anytime, except when the seat belt sign was on. You could use your laptop, snooze with a blanket, and use the bathroom as much as you wanted.

At Houston I can't say what new measures they had in place, as I was already cleared and was just passing through for my connecting flight.

I can't say what security would work to keep us safe. Yes it's true that if a person has evil on their mind they will figure out a way, however, this time we really were asleep at the wheel.

I don't mind the delay for extra security. I appreciate that they are trying to keep us safe. I am baffled that in this so called information age, a bungler like this guy, who did a dozen suspicious things, could get on a plane and try to blow it up.

Air travel is already so difficult what with flight delays, unannounced gate changes, missed connecting flights, bad expensive food, gross bathrooms, crying babies, and lines, constant waiting in lines.

Instead of hassling innocent travelers, let's by all means have effective security.

Oh yeah and I had to pay $20 to check my bag!

A Strange Sort Of Holiday

Here I am posing with the case for the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
Yeah, it's been a weird holiday so far. Do you know where this picture was taken? I'll send you a postcard if you do.

Copaxone Price Shock

Presently, I cannot complain with how much I pay for prescription medication, but it is just a matter of time I will have huge out of pocket deductibles for my medications. I am fortunate to have the benefit of getting most of my prescriptions filled at a Military base pharmacy at no charge. However, I noticed prescriptions I take are slowly being phased out and I have no choice but to go to an outside pharmacy. In the past my co-pays use to be $3.00 generic and $9.00 brand. My co-pays are now $3.00 for a generic, $9.00 for a brand formula drug and $22.00 for a brand non-formula drug. If you are thinking most of my drugs are now brand non-formula...ding ding you are correct!

I made a conscious decision to not become dependent on the many drugs MS'ers are prescribed for every nuisance the disease bring our way. Yes, my neurologist did not like me taking most of my drugs as needed. My rationale to her dislike is...I am the one living with MS and I know my body better than anyone. I am not trying to play doctor, but I do know that I feel a lot better taking medication as I need it than taking it every day when the MS symptom or symptoms are no longer present.

However, Health Care Reform is definitely needed in America. Although, IMO what is being called Health Care Reform is a bunch of BS...KO eloquently tells you WHY! Washington needs to stop the RAPE of American citizens from the fraud and abuse of the Health Care and Big Pharma Industry...AND Washington needs to stop the BS political games at our expense! We are being raped with higher deductibles and co-pays because of the bullshit I just discovered. It is a damn shame how one pharmacy chain can charge almost twice as much for Copaxone and not be held accountable to WHY they are charging more than another reputable pharmacy chain.

Case and point, for years I have been filling my Copaxone prescription at the grocery chain Kroger Pharmacy, until December of 2008, I decided to have my Copaxone filled at Walgreens. Now I know how Walgreens can afford to have a pharmacy on every corner in about every state. I always assumed my insurance was paying Walgreens the same as they did Kroger after my co-pay until today. Express Scripts never sent me an Explanation of Benefits before today. They were not doing me any favors, what they were doing was soliciting me to mail order my Cymbalta through them; Which I plan to do because I can receive three months supply for $22.00 a month. Duh, who would not want to save $44.00? The SHOCK on the EOB was the amount TRICARE was paying Walgreens after my co-pay; I thought it had to be some sort of mistake. Therefore I went and pulled my 2008 prescription profile to see if Copaxone had a 100% price increase.


I discovered in November 2008, after paying my $9.00 co-pay at Kroger's for my Copaxone, my insurance paid them $1,783.00, which was an increased from 1,666.97 three months prior. However, in December 2008, I discovered after paying my $9.00 co-pay at Walgreens for my Copaxone, my insurance paid Walgreens $2,806.00 that is a freaking $1,023.00 difference. ..WTF!

Here is the industry BS according the EOB from Express Script I received today. Walgreens submitted a bill of $3,005.51 for my Copaxone, my insurance allowed amount is $2,562.19, I paid my $9.00 co-pay and TRICARE paid Walgreens $2,554.53. That amount is still MORE than what Kroger charges. Walgreens is pricing their drugs pass the allowable amount, knowing they will get paid the maximum amount allowed by my insurance...I have a bridge to sell you if you do not think the system is broken! It does not take a rocket scientist to see what the eff is going on with the industry.

Hell, its just a matter of time I will be paying for this fraud and abuse. It does not make any freaking sense how one monthly disease modifying drug cost $30,746.28 a year...at that rate a cure will never be found. TRICARE should have never paid Walgreens that much money. TRICARE would have been more cost efficient and proactive in their efforts of informing ME the drug I depend on daily to slow the progression of my MS cost them $21,396 a year at Kroger Pharmacy.

TRICARE listen up, I am going to save you $9,350.28 a year...I am switching my Copaxone prescription BACK to Kroger Pharmacy. How about a THANK YOU!

Merry Belated Christmas

I'm out and about. Updates after the holiday. Hope you are all having a good one

PEACE ON EARTH

To all:

My Christmas wish for you, my friend
Is not a simple one
For I wish you hope and joy and peace,
Days filled with warmth and sun.

I wish you love and friendship too,
Throughout the coming year.
Lots of laughter and happiness,
To fill your world with cheer.

May you count your blessings, one by one and when totaled by the lot, May you find all you've been given, To be more than what you sought.

May your journeys be short, your burdens light May your spirit never grow old, May all your clouds have silver linings, And your rainbows pots of gold.

I wish this all and so much more,
May all your dreams come true,
May you have a Merry Christmas friend
And a happy New Year, too.


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

Blogging Around

Really don't feel much like blogging myself so I've been checking out other blogs leaving the odd comment here and there. Wish I had the energy to take on a few more blogs, as there are lots of good ones. May as well face it. I simply don't have the energy to do that much reading. Sorry if you have a new blog I just can't take on anymore right now.


Watched the movie "49th Parallel" 1949 last night. Lots of stereotypes about Canada. Complimentary, but stereotypes none the less. The story is about a group of Nazi officers stranded on Hudson's Bay after there U Boat is sunk by the Canadian Air Force. So who is the first Canadian they encounter? A French fur trapper played by Laurence Olivier!! I won't give away the story, but recommend it just to see the old Canada. The one I grew up in. Oh now I sound like an old fogey.

I have this feeling that Canada is not held in as high regard anymore, what with our stupidity at the climate talks and our involvement in Afghanistan( No I don't call it a war, cus it ain't) We aren't the clean living peace niks we use to be. Which is a shame.

2010 National MS Society Scholarship

Sorry I am late posting the National MS Society scholarship information this year. Fortunately, you still have 3 weeks to get it done for yourself, graduating son or daughter...deadline is January 15, 2010.

• Who is eligible?


o High school seniors who have a parent with MS who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.

o High school seniors who have MS and will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.

o High school (or GED) graduates of any age who have MS and who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.

o High school (or GED) graduates of any age who have a parent with MS and who will be attending an accredited postsecondary school for the first time.

o Applicants must be United States citizens or legal residents living in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or any other U.S. territory and plan to enroll in an undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school located in the U.S., PR, VI, Guam or any other U.S. territory. Applicants must be enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester in course work leading to a degree, license, or certificate.


Click HERE for application and process

The Big Clean Up

Finally the work is done, the contractors gone, and my house is in order. Everything is looking good. I'm amazed at how much warmer and quieter it is inside thanks to the new windows. No more drafts!

Haven't been feeling to bad except for the cursed fatigue.

I am unhappy with a couple of fair weather friends, no, more like bad weather friends.I was annoyed with one of them who went away this week to spend the holidays out west. When I said give me a call before you leave9 I wanted to say Merry Christmas have a safe trip) she said "Oh she would be too busy" but not so busy that she managed to send me stupid email jokes that evening. Yeah OK lady I'll remember that in the New Year when you call me up to keep me on the phone for two hours complaining about your boyfriend. And yeah I hope you are reading this. Having friends means making time for them and not just when it' convenient for you.

Straightening up the house and getting ready for the holidays has left me with little energy for anything else, so the old blog has been neglected. To be honest I'm not even sure if I want to carry on with a blog. I feel like I've said pretty much everything I can about MS and prattling on about my life doesn't seem to be worth the time and energy involved. We'll see. Maybe I'm over tired.

Canada You Have A Choice !!

I'd like to thank my friend Herrad at Access Denied, for making me aware of this
site

and this one
Sign the petition

There is still time to save the Copenhagen climate talks.

MS Is Everywhere

Day one of the window install. Somehow a general conversation about taxes evolved into a discussion about MS. Don't remember exactly what we were talking about when the window guy mentioned his wife has progressive MS and is in a wheel chair. I felt myself freeze for a couple of seconds. I don't know why it is that every person I meet who has MS or has a loved one with MS, it's the progressive type.

At least I will be able to help this guy, as he and his wife are not claiming all that they can on their taxes for disability. I'm not allowed to give specific advice but I can at least point them in the right direction. They are losing out and why should they? AND why isn't anybody telling them this stuff???

So now I have decided that my next volunteer work will be to advise anyone with a disability, chronic condition, syndrome, on how to legally maximize their tax claims.

I may have to wait till I retire as I'm not certain if i would be permitted to do this by my employer, even though I wouldn't charge for it. They are very picky about what I can do outside of work and rightly so. Too many kooks in the past giving out free advice that was in fact rubbish. The media is always quick to pounce on Revenue when they screw up. Funny they never scrutinized the banks in the same way. We might have been able to avoid this massive credit crunch.

Yeah we all hate taxes. What kind of a world would it be though if we didn't have them? People always say they don't want the government in their face, yet they don't seem to mind money grubbing corporations doing it.

Marie Claire Should Have Thought Twice About Running This MS Story...

I was sent an email to read and give my opinion as a blog post on the following article, "I Had an Unthinkable Disease...And Made Myself Better" written by Kate Milliken, as told to Abigail Pesta, that appeared in Marie Claire January 2010 magazine.

Yes, my story is controversial. People worry that I'll spread false hope. Once, a woman who had suffered from MS for 30 years said to me from her wheelchair, "Don't tell me to put a Post-it note on my mirror—give me a break." Some say maybe I never had MS to begin with. All I know is that the doctors diagnosed it, and I have the before-and-after MRI scans to prove that a lesion had come and gone.

I continue to take the injections, along with a few vitamins.

First let me say, YES! Her story is controversial. It is also irresponsible of Marie Claire to publish the article of person who was diagnosis with MS and twelve months later they are claiming to no longer have signs of MS lesions. The storyteller did not say if she had her MRI's with and without contrast. There is a chance of having an MRI without contrast that will not show lesions clearly that is why when given an MRI it is best to have it with contrast so there will be no dispute of the reading.

I have an issue with the story teller stating in the article, "A day after my scan, I met with one of my doctors at Mt. Sinai, Dr. Stephen Krieger. His words floored me: No new lesions. As for the lesion that had caused all my problems? It had "faded significantly," he said.

"Is it smaller?" I asked him.

"It's actually so faint, the radiologist didn't recognize it," he said. "That's as good as it gets."

I have to believe she was given an MRI without contrast. It is irresponsible to claim she no longer have MS lesions. If she no longer has lesions or symptoms of MS, why continue to take daily Copaxone injections, one of the drugs that slow down the progression of MS. You either have MS or you do not, as far as I know, as of today there is no known cure for MS.

I am happy for her that she is no longer having an MS exacerbation. There is nothing wrong with positive thinking and adjusting your lifestyle to live with an unthinkable disease, but is wrong and irresponsible to claim to no longer have MS lesions because of holistic treatment, but your still taking a daily disease modifying drug injection.

What are your thoughts?

Eternally Dripping Sinus

Yes a very elegant topic tonight. My dripping left sinus, which has been that way now for about two years. Today I had a rotten headache from it and the sensation that every time I breathed the air was shooting up straight into my brain.
My feet are driving me crazy too Amazing how many different kinds of pain in them. Sharp, that feels like an electric knife, dull pulsing, prickly, stabbing, burning. Even more fun when I have two, three, types happening at once

At least my Christmas shopping is done !

Soldier of Love

It has been 10 long years and I resigned to the fact she was not going to release any new music, as far as I am concern her music is classic and I enjoy listening to it often. However, I am ecstatic SADE is BACK! Here is a single released from her upcoming new CD in stores February 2010.

Winter is Here !!

Feels like -20C out there with the wind chill And Oh what a chilly wind!It felt like a hurricane when I went out this afternoon. I could barely walk. It burned the skin on my face and now I have two big red patches underneath my eyes. It's still howling out there now.

I feel like a wreck. Thank goodness for the old movie channel because I sure don't feel like doing much. Right now I'm cooking chili and watching "Odds Against Tomorrow" starring Harry Belafonte as a small time crook who joins up with two white guys to rob a bank. Interesting racial tensions, greed overcoming any prejudice.

I was watching the birds outside today and wondering how they manage in this cold.

Copenhagen

I'm embarrassed that Canada has been described as the "ant at the picnic" at the Copenhagen climate summit.
Polar bears are eating their young due to starvation. The Russians are booking commercial ships for the North East Passage, offering free ice breakers, so confident are they that the arctic sea will remain free of ice. In spite of this our Prime Minister, rejects calls for controls on the Tar Sands saying it is important for jobs and the Canadian economy. I guess when we are all under water we will finally get it That climate change is here.

We have to stop kidding ourselves that an ever expanding economy is sustainable.
That we can just keep on sucking commodities out of the ground to make a bunch of junk that we don't need.

Get out of your car, go for a walk, quit hanging around malls buying cheap plastic stuff, stop drinking bottled water, and start looking for energy alternatives.

Attack of The Woodpeckers

Help ! The woodpeckers are attacking ! I heard what sounded like someone banging on my kitchen window. It was a woodpecker who managed to grab hold of the screen and was tapping away. Must have been some juicy bugs that attracted him. In fact my whole yard must be bug filled since the woodpeckers like hanging out there. Oh! can they ever make a racket too. Add to that the sparrow clan that chatters away in my front yard bushes and it's quite noisy, but noisy in a good way. The sounds of nature I enjoy. The sound of my neighbours unhappy yelping dogs not at all. Ah the joys of working at home. Am I complaining? No way ! Even the worst day at home is better than the best day in the office. I find I still get very tired during the day.Now at least I can take a break when I really need one and not at some mandated time. I never find the office coffee break therapeutic. Too many people, too much going on.

Had some good news. The windows will be installed next Monday. Looks like Santa is bringing me an early Christmas gift.

Some advice if you are thinking of buying a home. Unless you are really handy and really healthy, don't buy an old house. Sure they have their charms and new houses have problems too.I am learning the hard( read: expensive)way that an old house can be a real money pit if you have to pay people to fix it for you. The good old days when I could do most of it myself( yeah I was MS fix it) are long gone and now it costs me a fortune to get things done.

I was a little sad today thinking how useless I am now, at least when it comes to things like that. A total weakling. House repairs were actually fun for me. I had a real sense of accomplishment when I completed a job. Ah! may as well forget it and move on. Lots of other things I can still do and many things left I want to try.

From Math-A-Thon to Marathon

I am so proud of my baby girl for running in the St. Jude Marathon. The temperature at the start of the race was in the low twenties. Her group finished a little bit over three hours. My poor baby legs are sore, but like she said, "I am sore behind a good cause." I remember like it was yesterday when she use to raise money for St. Jude volunteering in the St. Jude Math-A-thon when she was in elementary shool. It felt GOOD to see her continue the values I taught her while watching her come across the finish line at Auto Zone Park running in her first half marathon ( 13.1) miles on Saturday, December 5.


CONGRATULATIONS! TARA, BARBARA and CHASITY (mom and daughter, Tara's other mom and sister) for completing your first marathon as team "Curls R Us". Now that they have the marathon bug, I have the travelling bug to CHEER THEM ON. Next stop New Orleans the Mardi Gras Half Marathon in February.









L-R (my baby)Tara, Barabara, and Chasity


On a sad note...

A woman died after completing the half marathon. Her death was the first death in the thirty years St. Jude has been doing marathons. My condolence to her family.

Tara's experience in her own words that was published in the paper.

December 6, 1989

In this picture - The Honourable Helena Guergis, Minister of State (Status of Women), places a red rose to represent all the women and girls who are victims of violence. The 14 white roses, which were placed by her colleagues, represent the 14 young women who lost their lives at l’École Polytechnique in Montréal on December 6, 1989.


On December 6, 1989 Marc Lepine murdered 14 women "because they were feminists".
Read how one women tried to save lives by denying being a feminist and how today she realizes she had many misconceptions about what that meant.

I am a feminist. I am not a man hating, bra burning, militant.

Bloggers BEWARE

The Federal Trade Commission revised their rules for bloggers when it comes to giving endorsements or testimonial about a product or service.

Bloggers who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.

The revised Guidelines state:

Bloggers and online word-of-mouth marketers are require disclosing any material connection to a company when reviewing the company’s products or services (failure to disclose any payment or receipt of free product from an advertiser or someone acting on their behalf could expose you to liability).

Click here for entire revised FTC revised guidelines.

Nice to know I do not have to worry about being expose to any liabilities because when I blog about a drug or a product I am not getting paid by Big Pharma or a Corporation.

It was just a matter of time that the FTC changed the rules and regulations because of the massive amount of people who blog and or have a social network site. IMO, it is about the FTC revised their rules and regulations on endorsements or testimonials. If a person is getting paid to speak good or bad about a product or service, it is an unfair advantage or disadvantage.

Now it time for the FTC to get to work on regulations for individuals and organizations with blogs, that are being paid by Big Pharma, the Health Care Industry and Big Business when it comes to politics in American.

Claiming "Freedom of Speech" when you are being paid to influence legislation and be divisive is getting old.

Blogify ?

blogify: To dramatize or overexaggerate. To describe otherwise bland subjects in a horribly depressing and/or dramatic manner. To make dreary . . .– Urban Dictionary

Check it out at Urban Dictionary

How would you describe your blog? Mine: Woman too tired to be as interesting as she would like to be.

Yeah but I try.

And I see my American friends continue with intelligent debate of
the health care issue:

William Shatner:
If you have money, you're going to get health care. If you don't have money it's more difficult.
Rush Limbaugh:
If you have money you're going to get a house on the beach. If you don't have money you're going to live in a bungalow somewhere.

William Shatner:
But we're talking about health care.

Rush Limbaugh:
What's the difference?

Rain In December

Sitting here taking a break from writing Christmas cards watching "Diary of a Madman"
I think Vincent Price enjoyed playing crazy guys. He did such a good job too. The characters are often sympathetic, and not over the top wacko like they are in today's movies. Oh don't I sound like an old fogy.

Well I have a new furnace and central air! The job went smoothly, only I think one of the guys had a bladder problem, because he used the bathroom about twenty times. My germ paranoia had me with the bleach, scrubbing away after he left. Hard to believe such a tiny furnace is such an uber heating machine. Here I am with this super efficient heating system and the weather is spring like out. It poured rain again this evening. Am I complaining? No, my winter boots can wait.


Not much else going on. I think the Afghan troop surge is a mistake and I hope our Prime Minister doesn't extend Canada's involvement there.

A Cookie A Day

Not as healthy as an apple and don't blame me if this adds to your holiday calories. A different cookie recipe every day till Christmas here