offer them an ear

"Imagine you're going about your day, minding your own business, when someone sneaks up behind you...You feel something press up against the back of your head, as someone whispers in your ear. "Sssshhhhh.... don't turn around. Just listen. I am holding a gun against the back of your head. I'm going to keep it there. I'm going to follow you around like this every day, for the rest of your life.I'm going to press a bit harder, every so often, just to remind you I'm here, but you need to try your best to ignore me, to move on with your life. Act like I'm not here, but don't you ever forget... one day I may just pull the trigger... or maybe I won't. Isn't this going to be a fun game?"
This is what it is like to be diagnosed with cancer. Any STAGE of cancer. Any KIND of cancer. Remission does not change the constant fear. It never truly goes away. It's always in the back of your mind. Please, if you have a loved one who has ever been diagnosed with cancer, remember this. They may never talk about it or they may talk about it often. Listen to them. They aren't asking you to make it better. They want you to sit with them in their fear... their sadness... their anger... just for the moment. That's it. Don't try to talk them out of how they are feeling. That doesn't help. It will only make them feel like what they are going through is being minimized. Don't remind them of all the good things they still have in their life. They know. They are grateful.
But some days they are more aware of that gun pressing into the back of their head and they need to talk about it. Offer them an ear.

Sherry McAllister"

Cosplay crafting 101

I am gearing up for the Calgary Comic expo with my girlfriends at the end of the month. I have a lot to make yet, but I think I'll get it done in time. I have a costume to sew (not too complicated - it's basically a school uniform and it's cut out -just needs sewing and accessorizing) and a prop to finish for it (a bit more complicated).  At the last minute I decided I am making Ryuko Matoi's red scissor blade to go with my costume of her -learning how to sculpt and build with mdf is fascinating. It's so much fun.  We're all also doing a team costume one of the days as a ghostbusters (we all have coveralls and patches and light up proton packs heheheh). The coveralls are all beat up discards from the mine where a friend works so we're gonna go as...wait for it...zombie ghostbusters! Heheh. I know! Don't judge me. We're gonna trash the coveralls even more and wear gross makeup and contacts and have fun with it. We are actually getting my friend Lisa to dress up this year in the group which is fantastic! She never has before so I am so excited. I'm gonna be zombie Spengler...cuz Egon is the best scientist haha.
And... I only have 8 days left to finish all my stuff...but I think I'll get it done. Heheh. We shall see. I have things to go to on the weekend and hopefully I'll still have enough time to get it all done around that. Making the prop piece has added a lot of work to the one costume so I'm gonna make sure I have the main costume done before I do all that, but I think it's doable...it's fun to make stuff. Almost as fun as wearing it to be honest :) The weather's been so nice I can work out in the yard and not fill the house with sawdust. So...so far so good.

In regular life I've been trying to be more active and getting back to running again -I started the couch to 5K last week and it's going OK. My right knee has been it's usual annoying self, but I had some physio and learned it's related to my ITB band and a tight hip so I have stretches and exercises to strengthen things and it seems to be getting better. Foam rolling is helping a lot too. I'm hoping to workout at lunch more often at work with running and some other weights - it gets me out of my office for lunch and I have a membership to the great gym at the campus where I work as part of my salary so I might as well use it more. If I am at a gym I tend to workout harder since I made the fuss of getting there. Plus this way if I don't want to workout at home in the morning and I need to sleep in I can sometimes and have options. I can even go for a swim if I want too.

I really need more sleep than I used to and I have to look after myself better. It's exciting to do it though -I can't wait to get stronger. I feel so good after I workout and it's nice to have that happy buzz again.

Anyhoo...I should go finish up work. Hope you're all having a good day.

Please don't leave candles unattended

Montreal was a blast. I'm back and busy as a bee. Happy and healthy.

BUT I am here for a good reason today...something happened that I want to pass on to all of you to maybe keep you all safer.

Please don't leave burning candles unattended. If you like to burn them have them in holders but most importantly -Put them out when you are done and don't have tea lights or bare candles burning while you sleep or leave the room.

Why?

This.

My friend's girlfriend is lucky to be alive after she had a candlelit bath and a glass of wine an and went to bed, forgetting to blow out a tealight candle she had going while in the tub. She luckily awoke to the alarm and a neighbor helped her escape. She managed to find her glasses and get out of the house full of smoke but they've lost almost everything...the fire destroyed most of the house and all of their stuff. She was in the hospital overnight with breathing problems. She said the smoke was so thick she couldn't see anything...if she wasn't totally familiar with her surroundings she probably wouldn't have found her way out.

So yeah. Please. Be safe.