Dippity Do

OK.. I've toyed with getting a new haircut for some time. Tried new people, tried new things... and nothin'. I feel I can't find the hairdresser of my dreams. My most recent cut I got in Airdrie, I totally didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. LOL! literally... and I liked it. But I can't go 2 weeks hating it.

Short of going all 'Beckham (nay the looks and abs) and shaving it all off.. I don't know what to do. Who is the MOST KICKASS HAIRDRESSER in Calgary? Slightly progressive and out of the box, with an air of classic corporate conservatism? I don't want orange and red hair (did that too!)... I own a business and still need to not look like a punk some days. But... I am in a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt with corduroy sneaks on in the studio today. So, it's OK to a little "hip". Or maybe I'm too old?

I'm game for anything. And I don't want "my auntie cuts my hair in her kitchen" type of hairdressers. I'm sure your Auntie is very nice, but I want the shampoo, scalp massage... and a great cut.

Make your suggestions! Maybe you can get a friend on the radio! Who knows! zack@energy1015.com or post your comments here on the blog.

Listeriosis hits home

We've all heard about the meat recall by Maple Leaf Foods regarding deli meats, etc and the (as of today) 15 people who have been killed by lunch meat. Of all ways to die. What killed grandpa? Bologna.

Some info for you. If you're healthy and not a young baby, or old person you're probably fine. Listeria presents like a flu (headache, fever, cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, etc) but is a bacteria infection. It is checked with a blood test, that takes about 3 days for the results to come back. It can take 3 to 70 days to start to show symptoms though.

Well, my Sweet Pea started saying her tummy hurt. She's got a fever an pooping like she ate a burrito from a street vendor in Mazatlan. We call health link. Sidebar: Those nurses on health link are INCREDIBLE! We had to wait 20 minutes to get through; apparently we aren't the only ones concerned. The nurse says to monitor her and go to the doctor tomorrow.

And we did. They gave her the blood test. Boy, 3 days seems like a long time. How come they can do this stuff so fast on CSI?

We had meat in our fridge that WAS from the recall. And WAS from the CLOSED PLANT (#97B). CHECK YOUR MEAT. We were feeding it to our kids, and it makes us sick to our stomach. Turns out that the recall isn't just MAPLE LEAF meat... it's all kinds of meat, even if it doesn't have the MAPLE LEAF FOODS logo - doesn't mean it's save. Ours didn't have the logo, it had a different name on it, but was on the recall list.

Some Links:
The Maple Leaf Website for recalled items
Listeria Info

UPDATE THURS AUG 28 - No results back yet, but Sweet Pea is behavior a little more normal now, and her symptoms have faded almost completely. She also hasn't been complaining about a sore tummy. Fingers crossed. Hope to chaulk this one up to coincidence. Tell your friends to check their meat!

REALLY BAD NAMES

We've discussed this on the radio before, but I recently ran into a REALLY bad name. Some parents have no mercy on their kids... but some have no choice.

My Bride and I were looking at getting a puppy, and doing some name research. On the list of baby names given to kids in 2007 (only had time to look at boy names) we found that some parents (in Alberta!) named their kids the following:

B.J. (that's it!)
Cowboy
Crue
E
Gretzky
Goon
Jackpine
Kees (Nuts, I can't find my Kees)
Kneaven (is this Kevin?)
Miller
Mawt
Oakley
Paul-Martins (political anyone?)
Pride
Rebyl
Rainbow (um.. it's a BOY!)
Rock
SaLmon
S
St.
Tee (FORE!)
Teancum (come on!)
Tru (be best if his brother's name was Dat)
Tommy-Lee

Well, some people just have no choice. Including a guy that I've been dealing with in an insurance claim, who's last name is "Sherstabetoff". Say it out loud... Yes, it is pronounced as you might think. PRON "Sure'stabeatoff". Poor Bastard.

Ken is creepy

So, here's something I challenge you parents to do. Let your kids pick a toy, ANY toy are Toys R Us one day. Much like the old cliche of give your kid an expensive toy, and he will play with the box... taking your child to the toy store will surprise you.

That's what we did; Go and pick a toy. OH, and they do. They walk around from item to item, picking up one then dropping it for another. Then another, and another. Then, the toy that they hang on to through most of the walk around is theirs. And, it's usually not the expensive one.

My Sweet Pea picked "KEN". She recently got her first Barbie Doll... and dropped all other things for KEN. She's Two. Don't get me wrong, I will threaten Ken with "I'm not afraid to go back to jail" one day when "KEN" picks her up for a date. But, picking KEN was good, until we got home!

What happened to KEN? Ken used to be a hunk! Barbie always had such good taste! It seems the Barbie people have been spending much more time working on "Barbie's" DNA more than Ken's, who is starting to look a little creepy. What does Ken drive these days? A white panel van? Seriously... I didn't know Barbie liked wig wearing creeps.

Sweet Pea loves him though. Maybe she'll marry Donald Trump or something...

diet update

If you look below on the blogs, you will see my friend Rod's suggestions on the diet. So, if you're looking for some ideas or motivation, feel free to browse below! Here's the (soon to be) skinny on today.

9a Coffee with milk
11a protein shake
1p 2 chicken burgers, breaded and baked on whole wheat bun
230p apple, red :)
4p 1/2 of a banana ( the other half got crushed, and was icky. makes me gag)
6p my brides home made chili with beef veggies and beans. excellent.
2 vitamin water drinks - 1 litre ish total
tonight, I will have beer... lets be honest.

Rod? timing is better! Rod, please comment, and can you make some breakfast suggestions? I'm terrible at eating breakfast regularly.
Visit Rod's Website!

Web surfin - Cheerleading is Dangerous, but so is reporting

In our news on the afternoon program today, Darrel Janz from CTV Calgary was talking about how most female high school sporting injuries come from cheerleaders... and no surprise. Here is some great slacking vid from You Tube!



Now, cheerleading IS dangerous... but being a reporter in a war zone is a little worse. Check out this video from CNN today. It shows a reporter getting shot WHILE on the air, and she keeps reporting! Women ARE tougher than men. The war is the Russia/Georgia conflict, btw.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/08/14/vo.gerogia.journalist.shot.gerogiastatetv

Wow! Back to my slurpee in my padded studio downtown. Don't tell Rod I was drinking a slurpee today, btw. (read below to find out why)

A Blog dedicated to...

Camp folks. Not the camp folks that move their trailer and live on a campground.. no no. Camp leaders. Kids camps like. YMCA, Brothers and Sisters of Calgary, etc. I was at the Calgary Zoo last week... seeing the "littler is cuter" Elephant... (by the way, go to the Elephant yard and see the baby, but look for the super cute "littler" park bench. Awesome work Zoo-folks! FUNNEE!) the incredibly cute baby giraffe and totally scored a pic of the baby gorilla.



Anyway, kids all over. Kids whose parents probably needed to get them the hell outta the house. Don't think I'm judging, I TOTALLY get that. But, I speak the truth. Well, this little demon children go to camp. And Camp leaders deal with them all day.

At the end of the day, the leaders look tired, kids are toast... but the leaders keep their heads high. Visibly frustrated, their tone is still calm, patience is abundant. I salute you Camp Leaders! Keep up the good work, and I'm sorry about what my kids will probably do to you some day. But, what a great job you do! Thank you. Now try to not kill anyone tomorrow.

Getting Fit? How about eating fit?

Thanks to the assistance of longtime friend ROD COULTER at Spirit Fitness, I'm trying to get fit. I've been going to the gym, etc. But fitness does go so far beyond the workout. It's about state of mind, lifestyle and DIET! For me, the goal is "Abs by Maui". At this point, seems SO not possible.

This is a fun project. Rod comes from a Martial Arts background... clarity of mind stuff. And they do have a gym on MacLeod Trail that is Gorgeous! But, I live in Carstairs... what to do?

Well... we attempt long distance training. I'll see Rod about once every 3 weeks/month.. but aside from that it's up to me to motivate. Rod helps with diet, and changes to my life and routine.

Here's the catch. I come from an athletic background, so working out isn't new or foreign. But, I have to send Rod what and when I eat. EMBARRASSING!!! Hello? You think you eat healthy, but you don't. IN an effort to share what I learn in the process with you, I'll share some of the diet/recipe tips. Cool? Anyone game?

Here's what I am doing/want you to do. Starting tomorrow... on your blackberry or a notepad, track EVERYTHING YOU EAT AND DRINK, and at what TIME. Today is Day 1... here's what I ate.

Banana and coffee @ 9am (with french vanilla "fat free" creamer)
Baked breaded chicken fingers and baked fries @ 12noon.
Coffee with skim milk and 1 sweetener @ 3p
left over of the above at 4p.
Left over beef meatballs and spaghetti sauce at 6p
Protein shake at 630, that I had intended on drinking at 2p on my way to work.

YOWZA! that sucks! AB REPORT - still only have 1 very large round AB.

Maybe Rod will get tomorrow's list as my first report instead.

Dirty Restaurants Part Deux

I wanted to give you this link again, in light of an article in the Calgary Sun today about a local restaurant the received a record health fine this week. According to that article, the CHONG FAT NOODLE HOUSE in Chinatown, downtown Calgary received a fine for $20,930. Infractions were repeated cleanliness issues, infested with cockroaches, to not keeping perishables at the proper temperature. YOWZA!!

You can search your favorite restaurants, and see how clean they are! Happy eating? Better learn to cook...

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earlier blog
Did you know the Calgary Health Region publishes the results from Food Inspections online? YIKES!

Thanks to Piet! She shared this with me

CALGARY HEALTH REGION FOOD INSPECTION LINK

You have to search your favorite restaurants.. but YOWZA! There are some DIRTY restaurants and grocery stores in our city!!