Down the Well

I was all set to write today about this video that NBC showed before the Olympics Opening Ceremonies. In it, Tom Brokaw raves (for 6 minutes!!) about the "special bond" that the U.S. and Canada share. I would embed it, but I can't since YouTube and NBigBrotherC know I'm in the wrong country. It's available to Americans at nbcolympics.com, though.

In any case, it's really very sweet. It was forwarded to me by a Canadian friend who was blown away by the nice things it said about the people here.

I felt a slightly different vibe. By the end of the six minutes (6 minutes!!!), I felt as if I'd sat through a parental lecture. You know the kind.

"Why don't you ask that nice neighbor boy to the dance? His family are good people. Remember how last summer, you and he would run through the sprinkler together? And he was so polite when he came by the other day to sell magazines to raise money for the band. It's unfortunate about his skin but I'm sure it will clear up when he outgrows that baby fat."

Meanwhile, you have your eye on that bitchin' Aussie with the laughing eyes or the dashing Brit that looks like William. But NO, the 'rents have to nag on and on about the doofus next door with the silly laugh who blushes when he looks your way.

I'm sticking with Shane Koyczan's explanation of Canada, myself.

See how I managed to write about it without actually giving the context?

What I'm really writing about today is the well. This time of year, it freezes. Technically, the water freezes inside a join in the pipe. All I know is, water can't get from the well outside into the cistern in the basement, and that makes me nervous. The water, however, is at least there--which is sometimes doubtful in July and August, the prime visiting times, but that's another story.

Thus, one of our hairdryers goes down into the well at this time of year and stays there till May.

It's really safer than it sounds. For one thing, by "down the well" I mean "into the outdoor shaft that has the well part at the bottom" (well part = technical term). The hair dryer isn't near water. We all know bad things can result from that.

And also too, the hair dryer doesn't run all the time--just for ten or fifteen minutes in the morning, till the ice melts and the water runs again.

One disadvantage of having a hair dryer down the well is that it adds to the Clampett ambience of this otherwise somewhat respectable country house. (I swear the tires as landscaping aids depart this summer.) An extension cord runs from the outlet in the garage across what passes for a front lawn (or maybe it's the back lawn--away from the lake, but at the front of the house, very confusing) to the well shaft. We plug and unplug the extension cord at the garage to turn it on and off.

However, I suppose lack of water to the house would increase the Clampett ambience a lot faster than any extension cords (regular bathing being a custom in these here parts). Plus, this setup works, which is its main advantage. I do wonder at times whether there's a better way--but now, when it's cold and windy and there's snow on the ground, is not the time to seek it. Naturally, when the weather is better and thus more conducive to investigation, we don't need the fix.

Which, believe it or not, ties back into the "Introducing Canada to America" video. Yes, the two countries share a special relationship. The doofus next door is a perfectly sweet kid. If you're honest with yourself, you know this. The kid, Canada, doesn't really need the hard sell.

And if the U.S. just took a moment to be a good citizen of the continent, the U.S. would know that, too.

So thanks, Mr. Brokaw, but shut up. Let Canada speak for itself. And if the U.S. fans can resist the Darling Couple of Ice Dancing and the Gutsy Lady of Figure Skating...well, there's no hope for them anyway.

Own the Podium

For my American friends, "Own the Podium" is the push in Canada to...brace yourself...WIN MEDALS AT THE OLYMPICS.

It's true! Seriously! Canadian athletes want to win medals. The Canadian Olympic infrastructure supports them in that by doing things like using science and technology to improve performance and paying athletes' living expenses. Isn't that SHOCKING?

And this part is true, too: the program is controversial in Canada.

Granted, part of the controversy is whether it makes Canadians too much like, um, Americans. Not that anyone characterizes it in that way. Too polite and all that. But trust me, that's what they're thinking.

After the first week of the Olympics, Canada is doing just fine in the medal count, not that that's the best yard/metre-stick for measuring the value of a country in the world or anything. Are Canadian athletes winning more medals than U.S. athletes? NO. Is every athlete with a shot at the podium getting there? NO. Does this mean the program is unsuccessful? NO. It just means that it takes awhile for investments to pay off.

As to whether "Own the Podium" is somehow un-Canadian--honestly, people. That attitude leaves me nearly speechless (and yet I will keep typing). In the U.S., wanting to achieve excellence in athletics is about as controversial as getting out of bed in the morning. And if you think South Korea and China don't have comparable programs for their athletes, you're delusional.

If you want to talk about un-Canadian, let's consider Canada's "leadership"--or lack thereof--in addressing climate change and protecting the rights of its own citizens around the world. Let's discuss the war in Afghanistan, and the possibility of abuse of detainees, as we celebrate Canada's response to the earthquake in Haiti. Let's consider other ways we could have spent the "Own the Podium" funding. All of those are legitimate questions, so let's debate.

Oh, wait. We can't. The Harper government prorogued Parliament, suspending the democratic process. None of those discussions can take place.

Now that is un-Canadian.

Thunder Bay: My Home Town

For people who think Thunder Bay is the back end of nowhere, here's a counter-story.

On February 4, the video below was posted on YouTube.



Since its posting, more than 200,000 people have watched the video. That's twice the city's population.

Jordan Burnell (from TBay) is currently a university student in Toronto. Matt Popowich runs Westfort Films, based here in Thunder Bay. Good on you guys.

An interview with them on CBC's morning show, the Great Northwest, is available here.

Shh! Can I have some peace and quiet for the Sleeping Giant?

Shortlist!!

The shortlist for the CBC Literary Awards was just announced. My creative nonfiction piece, "All I Can Say," is there!

Or rather, here!

I know everyone says this, but in my case it's true: getting this far is all the honour (with a "u" because it's a Canadian competition) and excitement I could hope for. To me, this recognition means I was able to get out of the way of the story enough that the exceptional people in the story (my Deaf friend Eric and my mother) touched other readers.

I had some outstanding help from the writers in Thunder Bay (including my husband) who gave me feedback that helped make the piece a million times better than it had been.

Eventually, that piece will appear in print somewhere. I'll keep you posted.

We Made It Be

Want to know about Canada?

In case you missed the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, here's "We Are More," by Shane Koyczan.



This is better than any Molson Canadian ad!

And yes, they say "zed" instead of "zee."

Notes from a Broad Abroad

OK, I couldn't resist the title. Too late to claim "innocent." Gotta work with what I got.

We're on the road, soon to be home. Here are a few observations from the asphalt ribbon. (I'm sparing you the obnoxious healthcare conversation I got lured into on the flight between Denver and Tucson; it was a week ago and I'm still annoyed.)

The restrooms in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum have sunscreen dispensers (SPF 30). For free. With a little lesson in how to apply sunscreen so as to prevent skin cancer. (Hint: use more than you think you need to.) What great customer service!! On a normal hot Arizona day, wearing sunscreen doesn't do anything but keep you from "experiencing slight discomfort" (sunburn or skin cancer) AFTER you leave the museum--but the Desert Museum cares about its customers' long-term health. I think that's socially responsible in the best possible way.

It's been a day for watching birds, if only we knew everything we were looking at. In terms of birds that hang out low to the ground, we saw several roadrunners this morning in New Mexico and pheasants in the Texas panhandle this afternoon. Also eagles, hawks, merlins (maybe), and other birds of prey. Plus a turquoise-blue small fat thing--like a robin, only blue all over--that we fortunately didn't hit with the car. I hate to think what would happen to those who squish the bluebird of happiness.

The Holiday Inn Express in Liberal, Kansas, features a Wizard of Oz "kids' room." I don't know what's in there because we don't qualify as kids. Dang. However, there's Oz memorabilia all over the walls. In any case, I already know Dorothy's lesson: there really IS no place like home.

Where I will be soon. I hope. Yes, this is a whole 'nother country.

On Supporting One's Work

While on vacation, I'm working. Or vice versa. It's hard to tell. (Boundary/border issues, anyone?)

At the suggestion of another writer, I'm also reading Art and Fear, a compendium of excellent reflections on...well. Art, by which I mean writing and work. And fear, which I sometimes confuse with life because it is awfully sneaky.

Here's a little food for thought I ran across today:

A reminder from history: The American Revolution was not financed with matching Grants from the Crown.

I like to imagine that that statement is true even when the work isn't meant to be revolutionary--"just" work, writing, art.

Fortunately, I don't mind working while on vacation, or vacating a bit while at work. Mostly, I'm fortunate to have the work, and I know it. Especially on Mondays, when I have exchanged a view of a frozen bay for a view of a grapefruit tree.

Thank you, David Bayles and Ted Orland.

Busy-ness

It never fails. I poke gentle fun at the lingo of business blogs and then one of them perfectly expresses something I need to hear.

Seth Godin is the kind of marketing guru who is so well-known in the business world that his name usually appears as "marketing guru Seth Godin." He writes here about modern forms of procrastination, all of which take the form of busy-nes with various forms of social media. (To be clear, mis-using social media instead of using it/them with a purpose, a plan, a goal.)

Busy does not equal important. Measured does not mean mattered.

I would never point a finger at someone else. As I learned on the playground, three fingers are pointing right back at me. In this case, finger-pointing is too mild. I have a target on my forehead.

I know better, but I often still check email first thing in the morning instead of doing my important work before checking. Partly that's due to 9/11 (the world can change in an instant) and partly even saying that is a massive rationalization on my part. If I deal with whatever is my inbox, it's time and energy. If I don't deal with it, I worry about it, and that's...time and energy. When I don't look, nothing happens. I get to it a little later and the world is A-OK. I know this.

Then the blogtour: family members, friends, strangers, who cares, click click click.

I know better, but when I move from project to project during a day, I "check in" at Facebook. Before I know it, an hour's gone.

I know better, but when I really should be going into that creative space at my computer, or doing something hard, like phoning a lawyer to say "what the heck?" about a project, I hop up to address to-dos for an organization I'm involved in or some other un-urgent project. Because correcting a typo on a website feels vital when the alternatives are hard, though meaningful.

I know better than to read random blogs about getting organized and making time for doing the really important things--instead of just DOING the important things already. Or throwing things away, step 1 in getting organized.

On the other hand, see all I'm learning from these online sources?

But I know better.

It's true that there's a time and space for learning, and learning is something I value. But I'm not exercising appropriate discipline around either the learning or the important work. So I'm going to do that now.

Hey, I bet someone has posted ten tips for discipline...never mind.