Rink of Dreams: Nope.
Excited to take the kids skating on the Rink of Dreams at Ottawa’s City Hall, we reserved our spot online no problem and arrived at our check in time promptly.
It’s just me who skates, my husband doesn’t. Our daughter who is 4 is learning, and our son, 7, has a pretty good form but also needs help from time to time. As I wait for a total hip replacement and foot fusion, in spite of my constant pain, I do my best to stay active.
We gear up and get on the ice with our new chariot stroller. We go right to the middle so as to not be in anyones way. When my husband arrives to drop off my daughters gloves (he was parking), we make our way over to the boards to grab them from him.
This is when I was approached by someone tending the rink. He informs me that I am not allowed on the ice with my stroller. I explained that it is for my youngest (who mostly is not skating; she was in it at the time) and I also use it as a mobility aid to which he says wheelchairs are permitted. I explained that while signing up, I read the rules and they indicated that strollers are permitted so long as the wheels are clean.
This stroller is brand new. I bought it for this purpose: to skate with the kids.
I agree to leave. We had been on the “Rink of Dreams” for less than five minutes.
While taking off our skates, the rink attendant again approaches me and apologizes. He says he was mistaken and that we are allowed on the rink.
By this point, I am exhausted and fatigued. I am mentally checked out. We are done. My son is crying. It is a stressful time (for many reasons) and tonight was a Rink of Shit.
Hip Surgery Needed
My quality of life is in decline so it’s time to ask for that hip surgery… only the question can’t even be heard right now because our healthcare system is so stressed due to COVID hospitalizations that I am one of thousands of Ontarians being temporarily denied care.
January 15, 2020 I meet with THE hip surgeon. He’s the best in town and does pediatric cases (this simply means cases in people who are young-ish). He tells me that I will require a total hip replacement in my right and we could try a partial in my left but to call in 2 to 10 years (approx.); as soon as my quality of life declines.
Well, almost two years to the day, I called to get in the surgical cue. I know that things are being cancelled or postponed right now due to the pandemic and the strain on our provincial health care system. I simply wanted to get things in order and be on his radar. I am in a great deal of pain and haven’t slept in a long time because laying down causes the pain to spike.
I am doing my best to stay active, which kinda makes the pain worse but I know that if I don’t keep moving, I will lose the ability to move. Period. So I have to kinda continue the cycle of pain - activity - pain - activity - pain because I work, have kids, would like to carry on as normally as possible. Just bought one of those chariot style strollers so that I can stay active. It holds more cargo (and children) than a walker and I’m not needing my wheelchair yet.
This morning I phone the Ortho unit at the hospital and was told to call my surgeon’s office. So I called them and was informed that I need Ortho to ‘assign papers for surgery’ to me. Called Ortho unit back and was put on hold, then told that they don’t really know how to help me at this time and that I should try calling again next week for more information.
The hope in being heard by my care team is all I have keeping me from breaking.
I am trying my best to stay active. I am trying my best to keep smiling. This is not a life saving surgery. I am privileged to have doctors, to not be in a terminal-care-related situation and to be able to work from home.
No one knows when the government is going to actually help out our underappreciated healthcare workers who have been struggling for a long time (before the pandemic, even). These people need to be heard, supported and paid.
This is where we are at in Ontario:
Ontario Temporarily Moving to Modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen - January 03, 2022 - from the Office of the Premier: In addition, on January 5, 2022 the Chief Medical Officer of Health will reinstate Directive 2 for hospitals and regulated health professionals, instructing hospitals to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures in order to preserve critical care and human resource capacity.
Ontario tells hospitals to stop non-urgent surgeries, procedures to preserve critical-care capacity - January 05, 2022 - from CBC News, Muriel Draaisma:
In the directive — issued to "regulated health professionals or persons who operate a group practice of regulated health professionals" — Moore says the following steps are required immediately:
"All non-emergent or non-urgent surgeries and procedures should be ceased. Emergent and urgent surgeries should continue, in an effort to reduce and prevent patient morbidity and mortality.
All non-emergent or non-urgent diagnostic imaging and ambulatory clinical activity should be ceased, unless directly related to the provision of emergent or urgent surgeries and procedures or to pain management services."
DryFeb: Pressing pause on alcohol for 28 days, again.
Inspired by my folks, one of whom is a cancer survivor, I’ll be participating in DryFeb. The Canadian Cancer Society asks people to consider giving up alcohol (getting sober, drying out, abstaining, whatever you wanna call it) for any length of time during the month of February to raise awareness and funds for the Cancer Society.
To learn more: Click Here.
Goes without saying how much I hate cancer. Most of us have had a close encounter and/or lost someone because of it. Could there be a future without cancer? I think so. I do.
Trying something healthy to help people living with cancer for a few weeks: sign me up! Join my team & let’s document our experiences.
Join the “Dry Babies” and get a little dry, have a little cry! Let’s go! I’m ready!
This is my second year participating in DeyFeb. Last year, the team was called “Oh God, What Have I Done?” and we raised a wack of dough and got healthier together.
The first few days of DryFeb 2021, I actually got quite sick. Hoping for a different outcome this year. Follow my progress and consider trying it yourself as part of Team Dry Babies!
This year, I will also be trying to lose weight and improve my overall health with DryFeb. My physical health has been in decline the past few months because of my rheumatoid arthritis. I am awaiting ortho surgery & have near-future plans for a double hip replacement. These procedures and my recovery will be aided by me dropping a few excess pounds. Since weight loss is a typical side effect of cutting alcohol from one’s diet, I’m excited to see where DryFeb 2022 takes me.
Check out our past achievements:
30 Years of Road Apples with The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip’s Johnny Fay and Paul Langlois on 30 Years of Road Apples.
The Hip's sophomore album Road Apples is being celebrated with a 30th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue which includes the original album remastered, Hoof-Hearted (outtakes, demos and alt. versions) and Saskadelphia (Nov. 5) + Live at the Roxy and More (Nov. 12).
In this interview, Johnny Fay (drums) and Paul Langlois (guitar) of the Hip share how it feels for them to be individually revisiting that period in time (1990-1991), whether or not it's uncomfortable sharing such personal mementos for album reissues such as this, the decision to tour one last time with Gord, future plans and more. This interview was a powerful experience for me and I sincerely thank the Hip and Universal Music Canada for the privilege.
From Universal Music Canada:
Created to mark the 30th anniversary of the band’s second studio album which became their first record to hit #1, the Road Apples 30th Anniversary Deluxe editions were carefully crafted with input from each living member of the band. The outcome is a deep dive behind the scenes of what made this album one of the most beloved in The Tragically Hip’s vast catalogue. With all tracks completely remastered in 2021 by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in Nashville, for the first time, fans will hear music from the band with all the grit, vibrancy, and passion of their original recordings, second only to being in the recording studio with them.
The physical box set editions, (CD and Vinyl), of the release will contain special Dolby Atmos, 7.1, 5.1 and binaural mixes by Richard Chycki of Road Apples and 5 cuts from Saskadelphia, ensuring fans have a one-of-a-kind listening experience. Fans and collectors will also appreciate the brand-new artwork for each of the packages within the physical box sets.
The expansive deluxe editions the release are jam packed with rare and more previously unreleased and never heard before pieces of music chronicling The Tragically Hip’s Road Apples era, including:
Road Apples, the original album re-mastered in 2021 by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in Nashville.
Saskadelphia, as released earlier this year.
Live At The Roxy Los Angeles, May 3rd 1991, originally recorded for a Westwood One radio show, often bootlegged and sought after by fans for many years. It has been re-mastered and expanded and includes the rare “Killer Whale Tank '' version of New Orleans Is Sinking. This legendary Roxy show is now a double vinyl album.This album is available exclusively in physical product.
Hoof-Hearted, an album of previously unreleased demos, outtakes,and alternate versions. Fans new and old will appreciate the intimate and rare items from the band’s personal collection, as well as fan collections that are part of the physical deluxe box set editions. Included in a 36-page booklet are essays from Bruce Dickinson (who initially signed them to MCA Records in the U.S.), and from producer/engineer Mark Vreeken, both of whom played pivotal roles in The Tragically Hip’s career; reproductions of original handwritten lyrics from Gord Downie’s personal notebooks, never seen photos from Kingsway Studio recording sessions and the Road Apples era and a touching tribute to late producer Don Smith along with further commentary from the band.
Recorded in 1990 in New Orleans at Daniel Langlois’ The Kingsway Studio in an old mansion that looms over the French Quarter Neighbourhood by a group of young men from Kingston, Ontario, singer Gord Downie, guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay, Road Apples, was first released in 1991. Guided by producer Don Smith and engineer Bruce Barris, the band created an album that yielded an avalanche of gritty rock ‘n’ roll with a relentless quality to it, like a stream of blues that struggles to be contained. Road Apples contains some of their best-known songs including, 'Little Bones’, ‘Fiddler’s Green’, ‘Long Time Running’ and ‘Three Pistols.’ Road Apples is now approaching double diamond certified status in Canada.
About The Tragically Hip
Critically-acclaimed for more than three decades, The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled. A five-piece group of friends including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums in Canada and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 15 Juno Awards – picking up their last two for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for Man Machine Poem.
Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021).
A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour recorded on August 20th, 2016 at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band.
Through their career the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada, who despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes.
Follow The Tragically Hip:
Happy Halloween 2021: Yer Ghost Stories
A collection of spooky tales from the people who lived them. Ghost stories, UFO sightings, paranormal experiences… Things that cannot be explained but were certainly felt by those who’ve shared their stories with me this Halloween.
A few years back I was rushed to the hospital because I had a very bad allergic reaction to medication.
I was admitted overnight for observation and was hooked up to some IVs. While I was sleeping, I rolled over and my dad was sitting there reading the newspaper. He told me to “go back to bed, everything would be OK”, so that is what I did.
When I woke up in the morning I looked over where he was sitting and I saw the newspaper folded on the table.
My dad passed away in 1996… years prior… He, obviously, was watching over me that night and came back to visit.
- Lisa
A couple of weeks ago, my two year old kept saying “Papa! Papa!” while pointing to the corner of her room.
I let it go as my father in law had just come for a visit. Later, while I was rocking her to sleep with the lights off, she pointed to the corner again and said, “Hi Papa”, then she smiles and says, “Papa hiding!” At this point, I felt a breeze of cold on my arm and a sudden chill.
I decided to show her some pictures.
A picture of my father-in-law: no reaction. A picture of my grandfather: no reaction. A picture of my step-dad: no reaction. Then I showed her a picture of my biological father and she said, “Papa! Mommy’s daddy!”
I never refer to my biological dad. Ever. My kids know my step-dad as my dad. My biological dad passed in 1996.
To say the least, I bought white sage and am going to smudge the house.
- Heather
I was 11 years old when grandfather passed. About 2 weeks after his death, my father kept asking me who I was talking to. I answered, “Gug”, but dad says, “He passed away”. I said, “I know!”
What happened was, I woke up ‘cause there was a weight on my feet and there was my Gug! Sitting on the end of bed! So I said “Hi Gug”, and he said “Hi Karl. Don't be scared, I'm in a good place and doing fine. Don't worry, you will be here with me later”, and you know what? I think I will be with my Gug again, but not for a while I hope. I'm 62 and I will see my Gug again!
My mom loved tulips. Adored them. Especially the red ones. But she would only look at them in magazines or on other’s properties as she would joke she “couldn’t take care of flowers to save her life.” So she never planted anything.
She passed away on sept 1,2001. On sept 11th there were the attacks on the world trade center.
I was still at her house sorting out her things and I really needed to get some air with everything happening. I went outside into her backyard and in the corner, by the cedars, was a big beautiful red tulip.
Freaked me out. But then made me smile.
- Mike
When I was twelve years old, me and a bunch of girls played Ouija board. We ask for signs and the typical stuff! I was sitting with the bay window behind me and when I asked for my dead grandpa to give us a sign that bay window exploded behind me! He was an alcoholic and many years ago, on a drunken night, he broke the bay window in my dad’s childhood house! Never EVER played that game again!
- Marie
My mom used to work at this boutique in Mexico that was owned by a cousin. I used to drop by and help move things, and do things for my Mom that she couldn’t do. I came in one time and just before going to lunch, my Mom said, “There’s this one door at the back of the store that I cannot open, I was told to put extra boxes there; can you help?” So we go to the back and there’s the door, behind another door. So, I give the knob a twist and… it opens!
I said, “What are you taking about? It was unlocked!“
We open the door and find this room, which looked more like a corridor, and it’s really really long. Me being me, I want to go see how long it is. We start down the corridor and it goes on and on... We stop after a minute walking and turn around and the door where we came in looks really, really small, so we decided to head back. Fast. And, finally, we get out.
After that experience, I decided that that corridor seemed too long. I’m wondering if it’s even possible. So we go outside the building and count steps along the block to the street behind and determine it’s around 175 steps or so to the end of the street.
Armed with this new info, we go back inside and this time, with a flashlight just in case, we start walking into this corridor. We count up to 200 steps… and there’s more… that’s when we stop and literally run back to the entrance door and close it.
We still talk about it in our family. As for the door? The next day we summoned up some courage and decide we are walking to the end! Well, we could never open that door again and the landlord had no interest in investigating saying, “it didn’t matter because it was not part of the rented premises.”
I still get goosebumps thinking about it, and still look at old building entrances with apprehension.
- Pepe
About twenty three years ago I decided to go on a little trip across Canada with my best friend at the time. We were eighteen and had no plans but to hang out and party for a month straight.
We stayed at my friend's father's house which was in the middle of nowhere Alberta and very old .
My friends grandmother (at the time) was quite ill and my friend Mike was sad and worried that something bad would happen. On my third night there I decided to go to sleep before Mike. He was still in the living the room listening to the radio .
You know that point when you start to fall asleep and you’re kinda awake but kinda dreaming at the same time? Well, I was about there when I heard a strange voice say, "Don't worry Mike, she will be ok." I passed it off as my brain just running wild, until a second later… Mike came bolting into my room asking me, “Did you just hear that? Did you hear somebody tell me she was going to be ok? That came from the speakers!!!"
I sat up and realized that I was not dreaming. We both heard the same thing.
Needless to say, we were freaked out and we ended up crashing at the camp up the road. The next day, we spoke to Mike's dad and kinda mentioned what had happened and he said that most people who have slept there have had something odd happen.
The only other thing that happened to us while there was not half as scary but odd non the less. We could stay in the house for days straight and nothing would happen but the second we both left, we would always come back to all the breakers tripped in the fuse box. If we left together ten times in one hour, we would have to reset the breakers ten times. If we stayed in and didn't leave, there was never an issue.
I am not a true believer in this stuff but I can't explain it. Never happened before the trip and in the twenty years since, I have not seen anything else like it… that I could not explain.
- John
I had been working at a local community hockey rink; working hard shoveling and flooding the ice.
I was in the washroom and had just finished washing my hands. I had literally just turned off the water in the sink and still had my hands on the hot and cold water taps when the hand dryer behind me turned on.
Every hair on my body stood up with fear. I was covered in goosebumps.
This was an air dryer that you had to push the knob for it to work. My hands were still wet and in the sink.
Frozen, I said a loud "Thank you!" turned around and dried my hands.
That was a little frightening.
- Ben
We had just moved into a new house when my daughter was two and we were shopping in a store that gave out free samples. The sample lady told us that,
“Your daughter can see things. She can see THEM. If they bother you, tell them to Go Away".
Weird, right? So we left the store.
A couple nights later, I wake up at around 2 AM because I’d heard something. Turns out it was my daughter walking down the hallway (she just graduated out of the crib into the bigger bed).
I follow her down the hallway, say her name and she turns to look at me. I noticed that she looks totally out of it; eyes wide open, but not really looking at me and she says, in the creepiest voice I've ever heard,
"This child should not be here."
At this point I am obviously freaking out. I walk over to her, pick her up and bring her back to her room, put her in bed, turn around to leave and find that her door is closed behind me.
I walk over to the door and grab the handle when I hear this blood curdling scream coming from behind me. I turn around and my daughter is sitting up in her bed screaming and pointing at the door. I go over to console her for a few minutes and she finally calms down and I go back to bed.
When I get back to bed, my wife asked “What's going on?” I explain everything and she says, “Yeah, I heard a bunch of noise and I have to work in the morning so I came and closed the door behind you.”
Scared the living hell out of me. Only reasonable explanation is that my daughter was sleepwalking or, at least, I hope she was sleepwalking.
- Jaret
ANONYMOUS TEXTER: “I don't know if this is much of a ghost story. But when I was a child I was playing with a first choice play set. I remember so clearly, I was sitting down and look at the wall and my shadow stood up and waved at me. I freaked out and went to my parents but got shrugged off. I'll never forget that day.”