Hey if you won't appreciate a good Oilers jersey I'm happy to give it the loving it deserves. :) I may not be a avid hockey fan but my standards and support for my hometown team will always make me an ABC (Anyone but Calgary.) My old job (in Calgary) stopped including me in the draws for the leftover tickets from our…

They do at the calgary zoo as well. I once used the tip of my umbrella on the glass and drew loops and squiggles that one of the otters followed. It was so fun and cute - one of the highlights of my life with animals!

I think my grad school runs on caffiene and rumours. :) I'm working the two hour naps before getting up and working all night and then maybe another two hour nap before class thing right now, but I'm toying with the 5 hour energy drink thing.

For Canadian Jezzies you can add the United Church of Canada to you list too.

Maybe they're sharpening their claws for the new woman premier in Alberta?

The length of a woman's torso has an effect on how the underwire sits. I'm very short waisted so I have a lot of problems with underwire rubbing into my armpits. I've also had problems with dislocated ribs before so sometimes that can now cause me problems.

making young brocolis bleed in the soup... :)

You said everything that I was sputtering but in a concise way.

no side boob either? My goodness, to think that something that happens fairly regularly to me in water aerobics is forbidden in burlesque... Those are some crazy pearl clutching laws.

Now I really really want to bake an apple pie while I'm home this weekend. I'm spinning out this great fantasy of picking up some heirloom apples from the orchard a mile up the road and sneaking them past customs to make a spectacular pie. if only...

Canker sores suck no matter how many or how few! I'm happy you recovered so quickly - having mono knock you out for months isn't anything I would wish on anyone!

Oh good, I feel better now. :)

Please don't tell me that. :( I just moved to Vermont for grad school and don't need to add another set of allergens to my list. It's already quite long enough!

*laughs* I may have to use that one since there is a lovely rumour going around my grad school that the local fox is chasing people at night. Maybe there are some kits around for me to squee at from a distance?

I'm from western Canada so our experience of racism is different - more directed towards the oppression of Native Canadians since we didn't have the slavery issue. However, despite my entirely northern European genertic heritage, we did have a couple of race discussion in my home as a child. My Dad is "dark Norweigan"…

And the anasthesia issue crops up with tube tying as well. A friend is finshed with her family and wanted hers tied but was turned down due to her BMI. But they'll totally do a tummy tuck for her (but that won't be covered under the health plan so why should they care?)

I don't mean to sound flippant but there are plenty of deserving non-profits that do amazing work in the world that are out there actually practising things that you are preaching. I admire your philosophy and think perhaps you've given up too soon.

Oh god, you just sucked away 2 hours of time I ought to have been doing my readings for class tomorrow.

I know huh? I didn't think I could live in a place that felt more uncomfortable to me politically than Calgary but then I drove through the American midwest on my way to grad school and was floored by the seemingly constant anti-choice billboards (with statements that aren't strictly true, no less).

I don't want to misunderstand you but I'm not sure if you're saying that tourism is using the exploitative business model or that tourism and all exchange programs other than state sponsored programs are inherently exploitative.