I once stayed a few months in a Tanzanian city called Mwanza. I’d spent most of a year trying to find ethical volunteer opportunities overseas. In the process, I’d learned that was a mostly-impossible task, at least for someone without relevant training/skills. That conclusion was one of the reasons I eventually pursued a master’s degree …
Six years ago, I almost lost my brother. I had just arrived in Barbados for a vacation and my mom phoned. If you’ve ever received a call where you know something is wrong before a word is spoken, you know the feeling I had when answering the phone. Kyle had been ambulanced from the side …
Without any ado, here are some examples of times I’ve been involved with police: I was pulled over for speeding and tried to joke with the officer about his last name being the same as mine. He smiled politely, wrote me a ticket, and wished me a nice day.My friends and I dressed up as …
“Because it’s springtime and I can!” You may remember meeting my grandma in an earlier post. The statement above was her response when I asked why she’d made a certain decision. She’s been talking about this choice off and on for years and I wanted to know, “why now?” I’m not sure I entirely believe …
I don’t know all of what you did, but I know you’ve done a lot. Today marks one year since I started working from home – or living at work, as I’ve come to call it. I don’t have the energy or interest to write about all of the last year, but I do find …
I recently learned the phrase “intelligent disobedience” and it’s become one of my favourites word pairings. It originated with service dogs. Think about it: a service dog’s job is to protect its human. They are thoroughly trained and trustworthy. When a service dog strays from its usual, the human should pay attention. Dog won’t leave …
If you read my last post on the Keystone pipeline (or lack thereof), you may have been thinking, “She hates Alberta! She hates the industry that paid for her upbringing and funds her mortgage!” I don’t hate Alberta. I love Alberta. I love the generations of my family that have called this place home. I …
The key to good writing is beginning with several disclaimers, right? (Where is sarcasm font when you need it?) Nonetheless, I have some disclaimers. First, for my handful of readers who live outside Canada, this post may not be for you. Second, I’ve spent a lot of my career at an energy company (long known …
Continue reading 3 Things I’m Tired of Hearing about the Keystone Pipeline
As I’ve said before, one benefit of my job is meeting new people and encountering new perspectives. In early 2020, I was in another city for meetings (strange to think that was the last time I was on a plane!), which started with several of the attendees gathering at a pub for supper. (As all …
This wasn’t meant to be a new year’s post. But I’ve put off writing in favour of eating a lot of cheese, drinking a lot of red wine and dark beer, and watching a lot of Netflix. And now it’s December 31, and here we are. Last year, I posted a summary of the first …
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