First Snow ... stay safe!

I have lived in Alberta for a long long time and yet every year it is the same, that first snow in the fall and its insanity on the roads. Considering that it froze my garden on June 30th/July 1st we have only had three months of no frost it amazes me how so many people forget how to drive on snow and ice.
Unfortunately for me I was in the wrong place (Devon bridge) at the wrong time (8:20 AM) and became an accident statistic for that first snow fall. I am mostly fine, nothing broken other than my car. At this point I am getting paranoid, this is my second accident of the year, I was not at fault in either accident, but still ... I have gone many many years without any incidents like this and then POW two in six months seem a little extreme. So I am going to nag anyone unfortunate enough to read this blog (I am a safety officer after all), it seems to me that impatience and inattention are big factors in most of these cases. So a few pithy comments are coming down the pipes;

• late is better than dead,
• the two second rule is NOT how long it takes you to respond to a text message
• rear view mirrors are designed to show you what is behind you, not for applying makeup or inspecting the side of your car
• there is a reason those little flashing lights on your car are refered to as indicators
• texting or talking on a cell phone distracts your attention from the road and the dynamics of the situations around you, the other day I saw someome reading a newspaper while drivinig ... yikes!
• everything around you is occuring at anywhere from 20 to 130 km speeds, just how fast do you think your reactions are?
• defensive driving is assuming that the other drivers on the road are going to make a mistake so "drive to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others"

Did you know...

The majority of collisions are preventable; caused in large part by driver error.

A safe driver drives defensively, knows what is going on around them and looks out for others.
A safe driver never assumes that the other driver is going to drive safely or obey the rules of the road.
Skill, patience and being alert are elements of defensive driving that help you avoid a potential crash.

Help prevent collisions by following these defensive driving safety tips:
Keep your distance
Maintain a two-second following distance under normal driving conditions. In bad weather or on poor roads, increase your following distance.
Posted speed limits are set for ideal road and weather conditions. It is up to you to reduce your speed in hazardous conditions.
Give large trucks more space, especially when they are turning or you are attempting to pass them. An excellent rule of thumb is "If you can't see the truck driver in his side mirror, he can't see you." Remember, it takes longer to pass a large vehicle.
Scan your surroundings
Look about 12-15 seconds ahead (one to one-and-a-half blocks) when travelling in urban areas. Look about 25 seconds ahead in rural areas. Scan behind and to the left and right regularly.
Be in the proper driving lane well before you exit or turn. Be prepared for other drivers to change lanes suddenly to exit. Avoid making hasty lane changes.
Be cautious around cars driven erratically.
Think ahead - avoid a crash
Read the road ahead and stay alert. If you must swerve to avoid something in your lane, move to the right if possible. Do not move to the left. Reduce your speed, ride right off the road if necessary.
Always position your vehicle for a glancing blow instead of a head-on collision.

Mental Health ... the reality

So this is mental health awareness week and it was suggest that we research a mental illness and blog about it. My knowledge of mental illness is more personal. I grew up with mental illness in my family ... it was sort of like standing in the centre of a teeter totter, carefully balanced in the middle, never knowing what, who or when was going to tip the balance or in what direction. As a child, teenager and young adult I had no control over the situation, attempting damage control for my younger siblings, dealing with situations totally outside my scope of understanding or life experience. Watching the doctors diagnosis and treatments make things worse and worse.


So it sounds pretty awful ... and for moments it was ... so what was the diagnosis / condition ... I heard, nervous breakdown, manic depression, schizophrenia, psychotic episodes, post tramatic stress syndrome, bipolar and this member of my family was treated for all of these things.

So why am I sharing this personal information? Because 40 years ago getting help and/or information was very difficult, diagnosis and treatment again very difficult and yet mental illness is not rare, many people suffer either from or with people they love. Knowledge, understanding and support are critical not only for the person with the mental illness but their loved ones as well. Taking the time to do the research, posting the information, all of us reading the posts, this expands our knowledge, increases our understanding and our ability to offer support.

I believe that this entire exercise has had a positive impact on everyone who particapted and I personally appreciate that a group of concerned persons intiated Mental Health Awareness week and led the march to bring this subtle and quite often hidden illness out into the light. Because of efforts like these information is more available, diagnosis and treatments are more timely and effective. Thank you to Sifu Berhinger who suggested it and Sifu Brinker who supported her by making this part of the school.

False eyelashes and other silly stuff

Its been a few weeks since I blogged so I apoligize but I must admit its been pretty interesting and totally outside my comfort zone this last little while. My husband and I did our showcase routine (a foxtrot done to Micheal Boublai's 'I'm your Man') at the studio. This type of performance has some odd requirements, like wearing false eyelashes and dance tights and ALOT of makeup (if you are the girl in this scenario). I adjusted to some modest heels for my dance shoes ... that took awhile but this other stuff well it was a stretch. It must have taken me an hour and a half just to get all this paraphenalia on and had my husband in stitches laughing.

The problem is that I am very nearsighted so with a flashlight, magnifying mirror and no glasses, my nose pressed up to the mirror I attempt to glue these eyelashes on. First attempt on the right eye went pretty well and I guess I got cocky because I actually glued my left eye shut and had to pry the eye open, redo the eyeliner and shadow, and start over. Finally I get the left eye looking okay get my contacts in, so I can see at a distance but loose the ability to see close, and the right eye lashes fell off, sheesh. Frustrated I attempted to get the right eyes lashes glued on with my contacts in ... I achieved it eventually but I could tell it was crooked just by the way it felt. Then I squeeze into some fishnet dance tights, you are thinking no big deal. These things at the waist just barely fit around my thigh and if they contain lycra (as the package describes) well I couldn't find it. Do not attempt to eat anything wearing these things, flesh may start to seep out through the fishnets. As for the make up ... well thank god the girls left me some stuff before they went to China, as I had on enough eyemake up to be noticable across a large dance floor, blush in brilliant sweeps along my cheeks and bright (I mean bright RED) lipstick. I hesitated to get out of the truck on the way to this event to grab a coffee ... let me tell you it got some looks.

So how did we dance? Everyone said it looked good, but then they are all nice people who would hesitate to say anything else. My perspective, I didn't fall or trip my husband, my eyelashes stayed on, and no one laughed outright. A fairly successful moment I think. Apparently they recorded the event and I will post it here when I get my copy.

This ordeal will need to be repeated 4 days straight at the Las Vegas competition Dean and I are attending at the end of October, wish me luck.